Leonard Cohen: Canada's Melancholy Bard

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Topic spans: 1961 - 1993

Leonard Cohen: Canada's Melancholy Bard

Poet, musician, novelist, ladies' man, monk, actor... Leonard Norman Cohen, one of Canada's most influential cultural icons was born on Sept. 21, 1934 in Montreal. Whether from a mountaintop at a Buddhist retreat in California, on the Greek island of Hydra or strolling along the streets of his beloved ville d'amour, the melancholy bard of popular music has delighted fans worldwide with his poetry, novels and music.

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7 radio clips

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When I taught English at LCC, I began every class with a poem. I would read the poem twice and everyone in the class would then share their favourite line. Sometimes we moved immediately on to the rest of the class, but sometimes we just needed to discuss it. I think those were my favourite times - when the students would be so moved or so interested that I just couldn't think of what would be more important than that conversation. We studied a poet for one month, which meant studying 15-20 poems per month and nine poets per year.

When CBC broadcaster for the arts, Eleanor Wachtel spoke at the school, she remarked that our students were more knowledgeable and passionate about Canadian poetry than most.

One day, a visitor to the school stopped by our classroom and asked what the students were studying. "Poetry" was the answer. "And who is your favourite poet?" The class tossed a few names around then agreed that Leonard Cohen was definitely at the top of the list. The visitor was impressed. But then one boy stood up - and everyone knew that he was not the usual poetry-type of guy, (I suspect that even our visitor had that feeling), and he offered to recite one of Cohen's poems:

With Annie gone
whose eyes to compare
with the morning sun?
Not that I did compare,
but I do compare
now that she's gone.

On this day, September 21, I hope that some of my students from Lower Canada College might notice it's Leonard Cohen's birthday and think back to those times when we just had to have the conversation. Maybe that boy has used his poetry recitation skills to woo a girl! Maybe they are still having those conversations in their own lives, where ever they might be now.

Maybe that's the true power of the poet.

Happy Birthday Mr. Cohen...and thank you.

P.S.
I highly recommend both the CBC and the NFB for their collection of wonderful materials on poets and poetry.

Submitted by: Anne-Marie Kee

Leonard Cohen splashes on to world stage at 22

Broadcast Date: April 22, 1958

Born to a wealthy Jewish family in the Westmount neighbourhood of Montreal, Leonard Cohen had a comfortable upbringing. His father, a successful businessman, died when Cohen was nine but he enjoyed a close relationship with his mother.
Cohen began writing seriously at McGill University and was part of the bohemian literary scene in Montreal. He was only 22, still an undergrad at McGill, when he raised eyebrows with his first collection of poetry, Let Us Compare Mythologies (1956).

Five years later he catapulted to international fame with The Spice-Box of Earth (1961), his second collection of poetry.
Cohen performed two poems, Twelve O'Clock Chant and Out of the Land of Heaven (for Marc Chagall) from that collection on CBC in 1958.

Leonard Cohen splashes on to world stage at 22

• "Leonard Cohen began as a burnt-out writer." Saskatchewan poet Eli Mandel upon encountering a 19-year-old Cohen.

• Leonard Cohen's maternal grandfather was a writer and published a Hebrew dictionary called Lexicon of Hebrew Homonyms.

Leonard Cohen splashes on to world stage at 22

Medium: Radio

Program: Anthology

Broadcast Date: April 22, 1958

Performer: Leonard Cohen

Duration: 3:12

Last updated:
Dec. 22, 2011

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