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Leonard Cohen

12 quotes

Leonard Cohen's background may be a mystery, but their perspective is crystal clear. The range of their thinking — from Poetry to Women — speaks to an intellectual restlessness that shows in every quote. Our collection holds 13 quotes from Leonard Cohen, each offering a different angle on Poetry, Women, Music, Dreams, and Truth. Perhaps their most recognizable line: "Success is survival."

“I never really liked poetry readings I liked to read poetry by myself, but I liked singing, chanting my lyrics to this jazz group.”

— Leonard Cohen

Poetry

All Quotes by Leonard Cohen

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

— Leonard Cohen

Poetry

“We used to play music for fun. Much more than now. Now nobody picks up a guitar unless they're paid for it.”

— Leonard Cohen

Music

“In dreams the truth is learned that all good works are done in the absence of a caress.”

— Leonard Cohen

Dreams

“To every people the land is given on condition. Perceived or not, there is a Covenant, beyond the constitution, beyond sovereign guarantee, beyond the nation's sweetest dreams of itself.”

— Leonard Cohen

Dreams

“Women stand for the objective world for a man. They stand for the thing that you're not and that's what you always reach for in a song.”

— Leonard Cohen

Women

“Let judges secretly despair of justice: their verdicts will be more acute. Let generals secretly despair of triumph killing will be defamed. Let priests secretly despair of faith: their compassion will be true.”

— Leonard Cohen

Faith

“I think the term poet is a very exalted term and should be applied to a man at the end of his work. When he looks back over the body of his work and he's written poetry then let the verdict be that he's a poet.”

— Leonard Cohen

Poetry

“I always thought that poetry is the verdict that others give to a certain kind of writing. So to call yourself a poet is a kind of dangerous description. It's for others it's for others to use.”

— Leonard Cohen

Poetry

“Success is survival.”

— Leonard Cohen

Success

“Music is the emotional life of most people.”

— Leonard Cohen

Music

“And most people have a woman in their heart, most men have a woman in their heart and most women have a man in their heart.”

— Leonard Cohen

Women

“I never really liked poetry readings I liked to read poetry by myself, but I liked singing, chanting my lyrics to this jazz group.”

— Leonard Cohen

Poetry