“The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran was written in 1923.

This is a book of 26 poetic essays, which has been translated into over 20 languages. The Prophet, who has lived in a foreign city 12 years, is about to board a ship that will take him home. He is stopped by a group of people, whom he teaches the mysteries of life. And what a teacher he is. This is truly a book of life – with prose that offers beauty and wisdom whatever your religious belief, ethic origins or economic status. Gibran’s life may have been complicated, somewhat obscure at times, and short, but he has left a legacy of literature and philosophy  that deserves the reverence placed upon it across the world.
A good starting point to learn more can be found here at the BBC.

A more in-depth study can be found here at The New Yorker.

I was astonished to learn from the opening sentences of The New Yorker report that Gibran’s work establishes him as the third best-selling poet of all time – after Shakespeare and Lao-tzu. Once you have started reading it, you will soon come to realize that this is a reference and resource that should never be far from your hand.