ENGL 229 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Leonard Cohen, Poseur, Sex Toy
3 Sep 2018
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Document Summary
Grew up in a wealthy westmount family but is exposed to french and working class. Left canada in 1963 greek island monastery in california. The favourite game (1963) and beautiful losers (1966) were only two novels he wrote. Beautiful losers is first canadian literature to contain a sex toy. Cohen"s vision as a writer complicated by his increasingly public persona as performer. Refused the governor-general"s award in 1969 and said the poetry forbids it, and media personality absolutely . Cohen"s return to the stage as a result of embezzlement by manager. Ends up being even more popular in music as an older man. First book of poetry: let us compare mythologies (1956) Open embrace of sexuality, defiance, native influence. American beat movement: rejected structures of society for personal freedom, bohemianism, social experimentation. Cohen does not buy into idea of poet as saviour of society. Driven by the idea that it is necessary to achieve sainthood, to find grace.
