The Prophet

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran (1923)

"Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself." Twenty-six poetic essays on love, marriage, children, work, joy, sorrow, freedom, and death — spoken by a prophet departing his adopted city.

Historical Significance:
Kahlil Gibran, a Lebanese-American artist and poet, published The Prophet in 1923 after working on it for over a decade. It sold modestly at first but gained momentum through word of mouth, eventually selling over 100 million copies — making it one of the bestselling books of all time. The Prophet is the book people reach for at weddings ("Let there be spaces in your togetherness"), funerals, and moments of spiritual need. Gibran wrote in English, drawing on his Arabic heritage, Christian mysticism, and the transcendentalism of Emerson and Whitman. John Lennon, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash all cited it as important to them. It has been translated into over 100 languages.

This public domain classic was originally published in 1923. Free to read and share.