2007, WOW!
So, I have almost been on this earth for 30 years... And I always considered 1979 to be in the near past... It is slowly slipping away in the FAR past! YIKES!
Yesterday I received a present of two books, one was based on an inside joke from Elementary School, and the second was an interesting one that has been recommended to me by Nannan (another blogger who for anyone who doesn't know already was my grade 4 teacher at Milton Elementary School). The book is a philosophical account by Kahlil Gibran. I have read a few websites that Nan recommended in the past and his poems and thoughts were ones I considered to be rather thought provoking. Some have said his writings are reminiscent of the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible, in style and also a bit topically. As I was getting ready for bed last night I picked it up to skim through a few parts and thought I would share this one. It's about "Beauty", which is a topic that I talked with April about for quite a while over tea one afternoon after work. We were discussing with concern the trend these days of girls selling themselves short and trying to maintain a very unhealthy, low body weight for the sake of keeping their boyfriends. The women's view of beauty is often not to do with their character, or emotional strength but solely of their physical image. So, I come to this by Gibran, written in 1923, in the heyday of corsets and hat pins... but yet how relevant his thoughts remain!
All these things you have 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.
I LOVE it! Such an incredible way of explaining true beauty...
Yesterday I received a present of two books, one was based on an inside joke from Elementary School, and the second was an interesting one that has been recommended to me by Nannan (another blogger who for anyone who doesn't know already was my grade 4 teacher at Milton Elementary School). The book is a philosophical account by Kahlil Gibran. I have read a few websites that Nan recommended in the past and his poems and thoughts were ones I considered to be rather thought provoking. Some have said his writings are reminiscent of the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible, in style and also a bit topically. As I was getting ready for bed last night I picked it up to skim through a few parts and thought I would share this one. It's about "Beauty", which is a topic that I talked with April about for quite a while over tea one afternoon after work. We were discussing with concern the trend these days of girls selling themselves short and trying to maintain a very unhealthy, low body weight for the sake of keeping their boyfriends. The women's view of beauty is often not to do with their character, or emotional strength but solely of their physical image. So, I come to this by Gibran, written in 1923, in the heyday of corsets and hat pins... but yet how relevant his thoughts remain!
All these things you have 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.
I LOVE it! Such an incredible way of explaining true beauty...
posted by Gillian at
6:20:00 PM
2 Comments:
I'd be up for a walk... give me a call...
G.
It's amazing how the same words reread at different times in one's life can take on different meanings-- glad you're enjoying the book-- his writings are timeless-- happy new year!!
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