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Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen Quotes

Singer-songwriter

Leonard Cohen, a renowned Canadian singer-songwriter, is celebrated for his profound lyrics and distinctive voice. His musical career spanned over half a century, encompassing a variety of styles from folk to rock and jazz. Cohen's music and poetry have been beloved by fans worldwide, and he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.

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Famous Leonard Cohen Quotes

“When my heart is broken as usual over someone's evanescent beauty and design after design they fade like kingdoms with no writing”

Poetry Beauty Heartbreak

Book:Book of Longing

Source: Book of Longing

“Awaken me, lord, from the dream of despair, and let me describe my sin. I would not fall into the bewilderment to which your name invited me. I established a court, and I fell asleep under a crown, and I dreamed I could rule the wicked. Awaken me to the homeland of my heart where you are worshipped forever. Awaken me to the mercy of the breath which you breathe into me.”

Poetry Lord Despair Worship Awaken

Book:Book of Mercy

Source: Book of Mercy

“Blessed are you who, among the numberless swept away in terror, permitted a few to suffer carefully.”

Poetry Suffering Blessed Pessimism Suffer

Book:Book of Mercy

Source: Book of Mercy

“I confess I meant to grow wings and lose my mind I confess that I've forgotten what for Why wings and a lost mind”

Mind Poetry Lost Wings Melancholy Bittersweet

Author:Leonard Cohen

“Kindle the darkness of my calling, let me cry to the one who judges the heart in justice and mercy. Arouse my heart again with the limitless breath you breathe into me, arouse the secret from obscurity.”

Life Heart Poetry Justice Mercy Obscurity

Book:Book of Mercy

Source: Book of Mercy

“so much of the world is plunged in darkness and chaos... So ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering There is a crack in everything That’s how the light gets in.”

Inspirational Writing Poetry Songwriting Leonard Cohen

Author:Leonard Cohen

“Bind me to your will, bind me with these threads of sorrow, and gather me out of the afternoon where I have torn my soul on twenty monstrous altars, offering all things but myself.”

Soul Poetry Sorrow Worship Binding Bound Altar

Book:Book of Mercy

Source: Book of Mercy

“Let him lie among the strings until there is no hope for his daily strategy, until he cries, I am yours, I am your creature.”

Love Poetry Worship Devotion Ownership

Book:Book of Mercy

Source: Book of Mercy

“We are so small between the stars, so large against the sky | and lost among these subway crowds, I try to catch your eye.”

Poetry Music Leonard Cohen

Book:Stranger Music: Selected Poems and Songs

Source: Stranger Music: Selected Poems and Songs

“Refine your longing here, in the small silver music of her preparations, under the low-built shelter of repentance.”

Poetry Beauty Music Longing Repentance

Book:Book of Mercy

Source: Book of Mercy

“This is the way we summon one another, but it is not the way we call upon the Name. We stand in rags, we beg for tears to dissolve the immovable landmarks of hatred. How beautiful our heritage, to have this way of speaking to eternity, how bountiful this solitude, surrounded, filled, and mastered by the Name, from which all things arise in splendour, depending one upon the other.”

Poetry Solitude Hatred Eternity

Book:Book of Mercy

Source: Book of Mercy

“Sit in a chair and keep still. Let the dancer's shoulders emerge from your shoulders, the dancer's chest from your chest, the dancer's loins from your loins, the dancer's hips and thighs from yours; and from your silence the throat that makes a sound, and from your bafflement a clear song to which the dancer moves...”

Body Poetry Dancer Sex Workers Stripper

Book:Book of Mercy

Source: Book of Mercy

“You let me sing, you lifted me up, you have my soul a beam to travel on. You folded your distance back into my heart. You drew the tears back to my eyes. You hid me in the mountain of your word. You gave the injury a tongue to heal itself. You covered my head with my teacher's care, you bound my arm with my grandfather's strength. O beloved speaking, O comfort whispering in the terror, unspeakable explanation of the smoke and cruelty, undo the self-conspiracy, let me dare the boldness of joy.”

Poetry Comfort Worship Beloved Word Sing

Book:Book of Mercy

Source: Book of Mercy

“In the thin light of hunted pleasure, I become afraid that I will never know my sorrow. I call on you with a cry that concentrates the heart. When will I cry out in gratitude? When will I sing to your mercy?”

Poetry Pleasure Sorrow Mercy Sing

Book:Book of Mercy

Source: Book of Mercy

“...and tremble before the furnace of light in which you are formed and to which you return, until the time when he suspends his light and withdraws into himself, and there is no world, and there is no soul anywhere.”

Light Poetry Void Nothingness Worldless

Book:Book of Mercy

Source: Book of Mercy

“Poetry is a verdict rather than an intention.”

Art Poetry Intention Poetry Is Verdict

Author:Leonard Cohen

“Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin Dance me through the panic 'til I'm gathered safely in Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove Dance me to the end of love”

Ends Poetry Burning Lifts Branches Panic Violin Dove Olives Olive Branches

Author:Leonard Cohen

“Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash.”

Ifs Writing Wells Life Is Poetry Poet Evidence Burning Poetry Is Poetic Ashes Great Poet Great Poetry Best Poetry Poetry By Poets Best Poet

Author:Leonard Cohen

“The moon is swimming naked and the summer night is fragrant with a mighty expectation of relief.”

Poetry Night Moon Summer Expectations Naked Relief Swimming Summer Nights

Author:Leonard Cohen

About the Author

Born: September 21, 1934
Died: November 10, 2016
Known for: Singer-songwriter
Quotes: 438

Related Topics

Ifs Knows People Song Thinking Men Heart Kind Want Poetry Writing Way Wells Feels Light Love Littles Night Body Morning

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Beautiful LosersRelated source material

Book of LongingRelated source material

Book of MercyRelated source material

The Favourite GameRelated source material

Stranger Music: Selected Poems and SongsRelated source material

The Lyrics of Leonard Cohen: Enhanced EditionRelated source material

Leonard Cohen on Leonard CohenRelated source material

The Favorite Game: A NovelRelated source material

Atras Das Linhas Inimigas De Meu AmorRelated source material

Leonard Cohen Anthology (Songbook)Related source material

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