Leonard Cohen - The Spice Box of Earth

I became a Leonard Cohen fan in the late 60's when I first started to learn to play the guitar, due to my older brother and sister's enthusiasm for his music. He began his career as a poet of some renown before deciding (correctly) that music would bring his words to a larger audience. This 1961 book was Cohen's second collection of poems (prior to his musical career), which was met with literary acclaim, but he then moved to the Greek island of Hydra for several years before releasing any further works.

While his meanings may sometimes be fairly impenetrable, Cohen always has a fine turn of phrase, and, at times, can be quite direct in his thoughts. Occasionally, his cadence reminds me a bit of Bukowski, although the subject matter is extremely different, but he can be similarly down-to-earth. Anyone who is a fan of his music is familiar with his poetic lyrics which range from sweet stories of love to almost vulgar sexuality and violence. Love'n'lust, jealousy, observations of life and more infuse his words with personal connections and intimacy.

Those who dig a post-Beat style of poetry should absolutely research his writings. A major talent, indeed.