Leonard Cohen’s poetry has not been influenced by God very much. However, Cohen often uses the Bible to embellish his work and to shroud it in mystery. Often, awards are given to lesser talents. But in 1972 the literary powers were captivated by a superior talent, and honored Cohen with the Governor General’s Award for his Selected Poems. Cohen kindly rejected the award. In writing, he replied: “…Much in me strives for this honor but the poems themselves forbid it absolutely” (15 Canadian Poets, p. 274.) Because his poetry is beautifully personal, yet temptingly carnal, Cohen has drawn oxymorons for accolades. On the back cover of his Selected Poems, he is called ‘a beautiful creep’ and ‘a secret all over the block.’ He suitably wrote a book titled, Beautiful Losers.
These accolades befit his poems. The reader of poetry may be instantly drawn to Cohen’s craft; but if he comes looking for purity, he will be soon disappointed:
“I heard of a man
who says words so beautifully
that if he only speaks their name
women give themselves to him.
If I am dumb beside your body
while silence blossoms like tumors on our lips
it is because I hear a man climb stairs
and clear his throat outside our door”
(Leonard Cohen, Selected Poems, p. 30.)
This poem, written between 1956 and 1968, flows because of where the lines break and because of the number of syllables each line contains. By using the pronoun ‘I,’ Cohen makes the poem personal. In the first stanza, a man is spoken of who seduces women with words; this is perhaps a reference to himself. Then in stanza two, sin gives way to guilty silence, for the man is made dumb when the consequence of sin shows up. The first stanza is matter-of-fact; the second one is a shock.
When Cohen writes about the opposite sex, you can expect him to include many or you can expect the sex to be sinful. Desire dominates him and defaces his work. When Solomon writes about the opposite sex, he zeroes in on one, and the sex is pure and undefiled. Solomon was able to overcome desire, at least in his compositions. The influence of God made the difference. The difference is a song that edifies instead of pollutes.
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