THE MAD MAN
KHALIL GIBRAN
Once there ruled in the distant city of Wirani a king who was both mighty and wise. And he was feared for his might and loved for his wisdom.
Now, in the heart of that city was a well, whose water was cool and crystalline, from which all the inhabitants drank, even the king and his courtiers; for there was no other well.
One night when all were asleep, a witch entered the city, and poured seven drops of strange liquid into the well, and said, “From this hour he who drinks this water shall become mad.”
Next morning all the inhabitants, save the king and his lord chamberlain, drank from the well and became mad, even as the witch had foretold.
And during that day the people in the narrow streets and in the market places did naught but whisper to one another, “The king is mad. Our king and his lord chamberlain have lost their reason. Surely we cannot be ruled by a mad king. We must dethrone him.”
That evening the king ordered a golden goblet to be filled from the well. And when it was brought to him he drank deeply, and gave it to his lord chamberlain to drink.
And there was great rejoicing in that distant city of Wirani, because its king and its lord chamberlain had regained their reason.
Figurative Language
Symbolism:
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"on the heart of city was a well"
Software Findings Reoccurring Words
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King, Lord, Mad, Chamberlain, City
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With these findings we can conclude that this piece is about a king in a city that inhabits good and evil.
Interpretation
My interpretation of "The Wise King" conveys the true meanings that goodness is reality. The poem takes place in a city with a draught that causes madness. It is insisted that whose who do not drink the water remain sane. Since the King and his party did not drink the water, the citizens call them mad and rebell against them. In the end the royals drink the water and the people rejoice because their rulers have regained their trust. The king portrayed himself as one of his people, therefor gained their respect.
