Love in Leonard Cohen's Poems and Music

Love in Leonard Cohen's Poems and Music

Famous Canadian songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen is known for variety of themes in his music and poetry. One of his most noticeable themes in his songs and poems is love, mainly the romantic love rather than “family” love. Sometimes Cohen incorporates love in hidden forms by using devices such as metaphors and imagery, while other times he is rather expressive of the topic. He often tells stories and creates plot in his music. Topics such as relationships and sex often appear in his love songs. The subject of love is prominent in his songs “I’m Your Man”, “Famous Blue Raincoat”, and “Suzanne”.
In “I’m Your Man”, Leonard Cohen expresses the obsession that a man can have for a woman. In this song, the man is mainly physically attracted towards the woman. The man in the song passionately states that he would “do anything [she] ask[s] [him] to”, articulating his desperation for the woman. He further displays his obsession towards her in clear acts of desperation such as “crawl[ing] to [her]”, “fall[ing] at [her] feet”, and “howl[ing] at [her] beauty”. In addition, although the poem does not directly express it, readers can infer that the man also lusts for the lady. When the man cries “And if you want a doctor, I’ll examine every inch of you”, he is actually using that phrase as an excuse to fulfill his sexual desires. He further expresses his sexual attraction towards the woman when he mentions “If you want a father for your child, or only want to walk with me for a while”, suggesting that he can either father her child or have a one night stand with her, as long as he receives what he yearns for.
In huge contrast to “I’m Your Man”, in “Famous Blue Raincoat”, the main character, Leonard Cohen himself, expresses envy and grief because his wife, Jane, committed adultery. Cohen, Jane, and “Famous Blue Raincoat (FBR)” develop a complicated love triangle. Cohen observes that Jane cheated on him more than once, mentioning “And you treated my woman to a flake of your...

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