I’ve always loved this poem. When I first read it a ways back, “Tesla” meant something other than it does today to me (the scientist then vs the company) and that can be the nature of topical things. But how I wish those sobering/brilliant last two lines were also of something I could say was no longer a true association. Prayers for peace — to me this poem is such a prayer.
I’ve always loved this poem too and funnily enough knew of “Tesla” as what it was before it was bastardized. Those last two poems are unforgettable. This is one of those poems I always read at a reading.
Oof, yes I can totally see this perspective, Mark. I think perhaps his critique was pointing to the way West was asserting his talent as greater or more deserving than other artists and this was Cohen's attempt to call out the self-aggrandizing behavior.
There's a very thoughtful analysis of this poem in a 2018 article in Slate (Carl Wilson, October 12). There is always more to learn about Leonard Cohen--the richness behind every line. Amazing.
I LOL'ED. I THOUGHT I KNEW ALL OF L. COHEN'S POEMS. I KEPT SEARCHING FOR WHO REALLY WROTE THIS. HOW WONDERFUL TO LAUGH WITH L. COHEN AGAIN. So gutsy and imaginative.
So glad you enjoyed the levity in this one, Rochelle! No one makes brash and bold quite as graceful as Leonard Cohen--one of the qualities that makes his work both ahead of its time and entirely timeless.
I’ve always loved this poem. When I first read it a ways back, “Tesla” meant something other than it does today to me (the scientist then vs the company) and that can be the nature of topical things. But how I wish those sobering/brilliant last two lines were also of something I could say was no longer a true association. Prayers for peace — to me this poem is such a prayer.
I’ve always loved this poem too and funnily enough knew of “Tesla” as what it was before it was bastardized. Those last two poems are unforgettable. This is one of those poems I always read at a reading.
Leonard Cohen was the Dylan of Canada.
I find this a little offensive...
Sure, Cohen can be on his own ego trip... even given the degree to which Kanye has gone off the rails, this really sounds like a dig at Black culture
Cohen isn't the Dylan of anything... Jay Z is much more of a Dylan type
Oof, yes I can totally see this perspective, Mark. I think perhaps his critique was pointing to the way West was asserting his talent as greater or more deserving than other artists and this was Cohen's attempt to call out the self-aggrandizing behavior.
That's definitely a possibility.
There are clearly lots of ways to interpret the poem.
Looking at the article folks are talking about...
https://slate.com/culture/2018/10/leonard-cohen-kanye-west-is-not-picasso-poem-analysis.html
... I don't think this really answers the issue
This feels like a Tony Hoagland style miss. A white dude who thinks they're being funny and it's not quite landing right...
There's a very thoughtful analysis of this poem in a 2018 article in Slate (Carl Wilson, October 12). There is always more to learn about Leonard Cohen--the richness behind every line. Amazing.
Thank you for the article, Pamela!
Thanks for the article. Context is so important.
What a great article. Thanks for pointing me to it.
I LOL'ED. I THOUGHT I KNEW ALL OF L. COHEN'S POEMS. I KEPT SEARCHING FOR WHO REALLY WROTE THIS. HOW WONDERFUL TO LAUGH WITH L. COHEN AGAIN. So gutsy and imaginative.
So glad you enjoyed the levity in this one, Rochelle! No one makes brash and bold quite as graceful as Leonard Cohen--one of the qualities that makes his work both ahead of its time and entirely timeless.