The Madman: His Parables and Poems

First published in 1918, "The Madman" is the first work in English by celebrated Lebanese-American poet and artist Kahlil Gibran. Most famous for "The Prophet," published in 1923 and one of the best-selling books ever written, Gibran was also a talented visual artist who studied in Paris before writing several works in Arabic early in his literary career. "The Madman" is a collection of over 30 parables and poems that showcase the innovative and varied style that Gibran would become celebrated for the world over. These sentimental, spiritual, but also witty and humorous, parables and poems examine the foibles and vanities of human culture. They show that often sanity is a social construct and that many who are later viewed as prophets and soothsayers are at first dismissed as crazy madmen. Ultimately life-affirming and reassuring, Gibran's poems encourage inner contemplation and reflection on what it means to be both a physical and spiritual being. Like all of Gibran's work, "The Madman" continues to be read and cherished around the world a century after it was first written for its timeless understanding of our shared humanity. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.