The Prophet
Kahlil Gibran
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love.
When you love you should not say,
‘God is in my heart,’ but rather, ‘I am in the heart of God.’5
And think not you can direct the course of love,
for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.10
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart
and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstasy;15
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstasy;
In this line from the passage, what does the word ecstasy mean?
Responses
A delightdelight
B miserymisery
C memorymemory
D sacrificesacrifice
A delight
The word "ecstasy" in this line means delight.
To determine the meaning of the word "ecstasy" in the line "To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy," we can use different strategies:
1. Contextual Analysis: Read the surrounding sentences or paragraphs to understand the context in which the word is used, as it may provide clues to the intended meaning.
2. Dictionary Definition: Consult a dictionary to find multiple definitions of the word. By comparing the definitions and considering the context, we can determine the most appropriate meaning.
Based on the context of the passage, where love is described as fulfilling itself and being a source of joy and gratitude, the word "ecstasy" likely refers to a state of extreme happiness or intense pleasure. Therefore, the correct answer would be A) delight.