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Jackson6612 Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Your clothes conceal much of your beauty, yet they hide not the unbeautiful.
The below passage is from Khalil Gibran's http://books.google.com/books?id=n5BlBsFbGOQC&pg=PA20&dq=Your+clothes+conceal+much+of+your+beauty#PPA20,M1. Please help me to understand this passage. Perhaps, Gibran is saying that there is no real need of clothes. It is just one of our own unnecessary adoptions. I have set the words in bold which I couldn't understand at all. It will be nice of you can comment on the entire passage.
And the weaver said, "Speak to us of Clothes."
And he answered:
Your clothes conceal much of your beauty, yet they hide not the unbeautiful.
And though you seek in garments the freedom of privacy you may find in them a harness and a chain.
Would that you could meet the sun and the wind with more of your skin and less of your raiment,
For the breath of life is in the sunlight and the hand of life is in the wind.
Some of you say, "It is the north wind who has woven the clothes to wear."
But shame was his loom, and the softening of the sinews was his thread.
And when his work was done he laughed in the forest.
Forget not that modesty is for a shield against the eye of the unclean.
And when the unclean shall be no more, what were modesty but a fetter and a fouling of the mind?
And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.
And the weaver said, "Speak to us of Clothes."
And he answered:
Your clothes conceal much of your beauty, yet they hide not the unbeautiful.
And though you seek in garments the freedom of privacy you may find in them a harness and a chain.
Would that you could meet the sun and the wind with more of your skin and less of your raiment,
For the breath of life is in the sunlight and the hand of life is in the wind.
Some of you say, "It is the north wind who has woven the clothes to wear."
But shame was his loom, and the softening of the sinews was his thread.
And when his work was done he laughed in the forest.
Forget not that modesty is for a shield against the eye of the unclean.
And when the unclean shall be no more, what were modesty but a fetter and a fouling of the mind?
And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.
Top answer
I have loved The Prophet since my college years. To me, north wind is an allegory of the harshness of our climate. Remember that in winter, it is the north wind that brings cold weather and storms.
- I have loved The Prophet since my college years.
- To me, north wind is an allegory of the harshness of our climate.
- Remember that in winter, it is the north wind that brings cold weather and storms.
- So these people are protesting that we need clothes for warmth in winter.
- softening of the sinews - Sinew from game animals was used to make a very strong thread.
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5 Answers
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I have loved The Prophet since my college years.
To me, north wind is an allegory of the harshness of our climate. Remember that in winter, it is the north wind that brings cold weather and storms. So these people are protesting that we need clothes for warmth in winter.
softening of the sinews - Sinew from game animals was used to make a very strong thread. The
To me, north wind is an allegory of the harshness of our climate. Remember that in winter, it is the north wind that brings cold weather and storms. So these people are protesting that we need clothes for warmth in winter.
softening of the sinews - Sinew from game animals was used to make a very strong thread. The
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What does 'would that' mean?
Would that you could meet the sun and the wind with more of your skin and less of your raiment
Would that you could meet the sun and the wind with more of your skin and less of your raiment
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It is the imperative form of the finite verb would, meaning to wish or desire. This form is very seldom used in modern English. I would almost regard it as archaic.
Would that = If only you could...
Would that = If only you could...
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Hi,
this quote in my humble opinion has such a significant meaning which is pure reflection to inner beauty.... clothes do conceal only what we sexually desire but never our moral merits, in fact we might be attracted to well-dressed person who is stunningly looking good, having our inner thoughts of sexual desires control our behavior and subconsciously desire something that we know noth
this quote in my humble opinion has such a significant meaning which is pure reflection to inner beauty.... clothes do conceal only what we sexually desire but never our moral merits, in fact we might be attracted to well-dressed person who is stunningly looking good, having our inner thoughts of sexual desires control our behavior and subconsciously desire something that we know noth
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Therefore when you choose the clothes you may need to choose the one that matches your skin color and body shape.In this way even the cloths is not so beautiful you can get a better looking.Just like when you want to make a changeable hair style,some people choose to wear wigs.And the hair color of hair wigs is in variety such as
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