ABSTRACT

It is important to consider Leonard Cohen by looking back though his posthumous collection, The Flame Poems and Selections from Notebooks. From 1967 onward, Cohen came to be known increasingly as a songwriter and singer. In Montreal, and in Canada generally, Cohen was acknowledged as a literary figure, singer, and songwriter. Internationally, particularly in the United States, about the time of his death and after, Cohen’s fame was anchored in music. This article examines two scholarly treatments of Cohen’s work. It is written for Canadian and, especially, American readers, to remind them of Cohen as a poet and novelist because he was best known for his music and songs. Focusing on Cohen’s literary dimension, his accomplishment as a poet, and his creativity as an artist, the article argues that poetry has lyrical origins and that there is a false dichotomy that separates music lyrics from poetry. Cohen’s poetry is well crafted and beautiful and so memorable.

摘要

回顾伦纳德·科恩（Leonard Cohen）的遗作《火焰诗与笔记》很重要，。从1967年起，科恩（Cohen）逐渐成为一名词曲作者和歌手而闻名。在蒙特利尔和整个加拿大，科恩都是公认的文学人物，歌手和词曲作者。在国际上，尤其是在美国，大约在科恩去世之时和之后，科恩的名声就扎根于音乐。本文考察了科恩作品的两种学术观点。它是专为加拿大读者（尤其是美国读者）编写的，以提醒他们科恩（Cohen）是诗人和小说家，因为他以其音乐和歌曲而闻名。文章着眼于科恩的文学意义，作为诗人的成就以及作为艺术家的创造力，认为诗歌具有抒情的起源，并且存在一种将音乐歌词与诗歌区分开的错误二分法。科恩的诗歌是精心制作的，优美而令人难忘。