Khalil Gibran is the third best selling poet in the world after Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu.
Gibran was born in Lebanon. As a young man, Gibran moved with his family to the United States. He began writing in both English and Arabic.
Gibran was a great poet. A literary and political rebel, he was a key figure in the renaissance or renewal of modern Arabic literature. Gibran broke with tradition by writing prose poetry. He was inspired by Blake, Nietzsche and the Bible.
‘The Prophet’ is Khalil Gibran’s great work. It is a book of philosophical essays written in poetic prose. ‘The Prophet’ was published in 1923 but received a lukewarm reception. The popularity of the book rose in 1930.
His other major works are ‘The Madman’, ‘The Forerunner’ and ‘Sand and Foam’. Gibran passed away in New York City on April 10th, 1931.