THE MAD MAN

I cried to men, “I would be crucified!” 

And they said, “Why should your blood be upon our heads?” 

And I answered, “How else shall you be exalted except by crucifying madmen?” 

And they heeded and I was crucified. And the crucifixion appeased me. 

And when I was hanged between earth and heaven they lifted up their heads to see me. And they were exalted, for their heads had never before been lifted. 

But as they stood looking up at me one called out, “For what art thou seeking to atone?” 

And another cried, “In what cause dost thou sacrifice thyself?” 

And a third said, “Thinkest thou with this price to buy world glory?” 

Then said a fourth, “Behold, how he smiles! Can such pain be forgiven?” 

And I answered them all, and said: 

“Remember only that I smiled. I do not atone--nor sacrifice--nor wish for glory; and I have nothing to forgive. I thirsted--and I besought you to give me my blood to drink. For what is there can quench a madman’s thirst but his own blood? I was dumb--and I asked wounds of you for mouths. I was imprisoned in your days and nights--and I sought a door into larger days and nights. 

“And now I go--as others already crucified have gone. And think not we are weary of crucifixion. For we must be crucified by larger and yet larger men, between greater earths and greater heavens.”

 

Figurative Language

 

Metaphor:

• "And when I hanged between earth and heaven, they lifted up their heads to see me"

•  

 

Personification:

• "the crucifixion appeased me"

• "Remember only that I smiled."

• "thirsted--and I besought you to give me my blood to drink."

• "and I asked wounds of you for mouth"

• "and I sought a door into larger days and nights"

 

Software Findings Reoccurring Words

• Crucified, Said, Beads, Blood, Larger

• With these findings  we can conclude that this piece revolved around good doings and the act of crucification and sacrifice. 

 

Interpretation

My interpretation of "CRUCIFIED" is about compassion, forgiveness and love, which is represented by death. The narrator lived and died what he preached, even in death. He did not perceive his killers as enemies. Since Gibran wrote this piece on Good Friday, he wanted to pass on the message that forgiveness is virtue to ones self being.