Parables & poetry · Free digital edition
The Forerunner, His Parables and Poems by Kahlil Gibran – Free Edition with Read-Aloud
By Kahlil Gibran · 1920
A contemplative sequence of parables and poems about identity, love, tyranny, solitude, and the selves still waiting ahead of us.
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Published in 1920, The Forerunner, His Parables and Poems is a contemplative collection in which Kahlil Gibran turns to short parables and lyric poems to examine identity, love, tyranny, solitude, and the selves still waiting ahead of us. The book opens with an image of the self as its own forerunner — the idea that who we are now is merely the foundation for who we are becoming. Gibran's prose is spare and symbolic, making this a rewarding read for those drawn to philosophical poetry and wisdom literature. This public domain edition is free to read and listen to online, with no account or checkout required.
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From the opening pages
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“You are your own forerunner, and the towers you have builded are but the foundation of your giant-self.”
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