The Prophet - Khalil Gibran on Marriage

 

Khalil Gibran’s work not only conveys a powerful message about the contributions of Arab Americans to American literature but also sheds light on the struggles of poets and educators during the Ottoman Empire, particularly the censorship of self-expression and freedom of speech. Gibran’s masterpiece, The Prophet, remains profoundly relevant to the world today. While I have only read two chapters from the book, the animation deeply resonated with my personal experiences. 

 

Growing up as a refugee in Pakistan, I faced numerous challenges because of my identity. This inspired me to learn about the history of my people and the reasons my family left Afghanistan in the first place. My parents immigrated to escape persecution, hoping for a better and more peaceful life. However, things worsened when the genocide of the Hazara people began in Pakistan. In animation, Mustafa’s struggle against unjust rulers mirrored my own fight for survival among people who refused to acknowledge my existence.

 

Sadly, we continue to witness similar injustices around the world. The fact that Khalil Gibran’s name is spelled differently (Kahlil) on his books and that his work is largely overlooked in Western literature is a testament to how the injustices he wrote about still persist. While I am not particularly skilled at deciphering poetry, both the book and its animation have deeply inspired me to explore poetry further and delve into Gibran’s other works, both poetic and artistic.

 

The chapter I selected from Gibran’s poetry is Marriage because I wanted to explore a perspective different from the one I have witnessed in my own culture.

 

In the region I come from, marriage is often shaped by cultural expectations and patriarchy, carrying a definition very different from my own beliefs. Women are frequently expected to make significant compromises upon marriage, giving up their education, becoming full-time caretakers of their husband’s family, and ultimately losing their individual identity. A woman is known by her father’s name until she marries, at which point her identity shifts to her husband’s name. However, I have always wanted to be known for who I am, not as someone’s daughter or wife, but as myself.

 

I have always believed that marriage should be a partnership in which both individuals contribute equally to the family they build while still maintaining their own separate lives. To my surprise, Gibran’s poetry on marriage beautifully reflected these thoughts and beliefs. He expresses this sentiment in the following lines:

 

“You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.

You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.

Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.

But let there be spaces in your togetherness,

And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.”

 

I interpreted these lines to mean that while two people may share their lives, they should not be emotionally dependent on one another to the point of losing their individuality. Gibran reinforces this idea with another passage:

 

“Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.

Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone.

Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.”

 

Here, he beautifully conveys the importance of personal space and independence within a relationship. In my society, I have often seen women become emotionally and financially dependent on their husbands, to the extent that their existence loses meaning outside of that relationship.

 

Gibran further strengthens this idea in the following lines:

 

“Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping.

For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.

And stand together yet not too near together:

For the pillars of the temple stand apart,

And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.”

 

These words emphasize that love does not require surrendering oneself entirely. A healthy relationship allows both individuals to grow as separate yet connected beings, much like trees that thrive independently while still sharing the same earth.

 

Lastly, I am very inspired by Gibran’s work and look forward to reading The Prophet and more of his work.