Chapter 25: On Beauty ~ Gibran’s The Prophet with Journaling Prompts
And a poet said, Speak to us of
Beauty.
And he answered:
Where shall you seek beauty, and how
shall you find her unless she herself be
your way and your guide?
And how shall you speak of her except
she be the weaver of your speech?
The aggrieved and the injured say,
“Beauty is kind and gentle.
Like a young mother half-shy of her own
glory she walks among us.”
And the passionate say, “Nay, beauty is
a thing of might and dread.
Like the tempest she shakes the earth
beneath us and the sky above us.”
The tired and the weary say, “Beauty is
of soft whisperings. She speaks in our
spirit.
Her voice yields to our
silences like a faint light that quivers
in fear of the shadow.”
But the restless say, “We have heard her
shouting among the mountains,
And with her cries came the sound of
hoofs, and the beating of wings and the
roaring of lions.”
At night the watchmen of the city say,
“Beauty shall rise with the dawn from
the east.”
And at noontide the toilers and the
wayfarers say, “We have seen her leaning
over the earth from the windows of the
sunset.”
*****
In winter say the snow-bound, “She shall
come with the spring leaping upon the
hills.”
And in the summer heat the reapers
say, “We have seen her dancing with the
autumn leaves, and we saw a drift of
snow in her hair.”
All these things have you said of beauty,
Yet in truth you spoke not of her but of
needs unsatisfied,
And beauty is not a need but an ecstasy.
It is not a mouth thirsting nor an empty
hand stretched forth,
But rather a heart enflamed and a soul
enchanted.
It is not the image you would see nor
the song you would hear,
But rather an image you see though you
close your eyes and a song you hear
though you shut your ears.
It is not the sap within the furrowed
bark, nor a wing attached to a claw,
But rather a garden for ever in bloom
and a flock of angels for ever in
flight.
*****
People of Orphalese, beauty is life when
life unveils her holy face.
But you are life and you are the veil.
Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror.
But you are eternity and you are the
mirror.
***** *****
~ Chapter 25 “On Beauty” from The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
Spirit Nourished Earth created the image in this post in collaboration with DALL·E 3
Journaling Prompts for Self-Reflection
The Nature of Beauty
Gibran describes beauty as gentle, mighty, calm, and fierce. In what ways do you experience beauty in your life as both a whisper and a powerful force?
Beauty as an Ecstasy
Gibran suggests that beauty is not a need but an ecstasy. How do you differentiate between what you need and feel passionately drawn to in your pursuit of beauty?
Beauty in All Seasons
Beauty is described as ever-present in different forms, from winter to summer. How do you perceive beauty in the changing seasons of your own life, both external and internal?
Eternal Beauty
Gibran says, “Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror,” suggesting we are reflections of beauty. In what ways do you see yourself as a reflection of the beauty around you, and how does that influence your sense of self?
Continue the Conversation
Your reflections are valuable to this community. If you feel inspired, please share your thoughts or insights in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you.
