The art of Leonard Cohen has been the subject of several recent literary studies and numerous short reviews. Often superficial features of his work distract those studying him and lead them to conclusions which do not account for a number of more important qualities which lie at the center of his art. Cohen's point of view, as it is manifested in his art, is frequently given only cursory attention and this leads to a misinterpretation of his work. The critical approach used in this thesis is designed to illuminate Cohen's position in relation to his art and account for the various apparently contradictory features noticed in his work. This study consists of an examination of Leonard Cohen's prose and poetry from a critical perspective centering on Cohen's "willed self-alienated" point of view. The self-alienated center of consciousness from which Cohen's work originates is delineated and its adequacy as a source of aesthetic and philosophical values discussed. The method of inquiry is mainly interpretive, but Cohen's art is also discussed in relation to several of the main themes and conventions of modern literature from an historical point of view. The basic conclusion of this study is that Cohen's "willed self-alienated" point of view is the source of what are called dynamic aesthetic values. Willed self-alienation may briefly be defined as a chosen mode of existence in which the individual maintains a continuous process of negation of virtually all forms, systems, beliefs, and habits which are in themselves "static" and therefore contrary to life. This process results in a capacity to be self-creative because the individual feels no allegiance to a particular self-conception. Cohen uses this point of view in his art in a way that allows him to exhibit a variety of apparently contradictory traits. This fragmentation of the consciousness at the center of the art must be grasped if Cohen's work is to be fully appreciated. The basic impulse of the willfully self-alienated individual is to "become" other than he is at any particular point in time. The temporal emphasis for such a mode of existence is, therefore, the present moment. An aesthetic perspective emerges directly out of this situation. The main temporal focus of aesthetic concerns is the present and, in the arts, "moments" of perfection. Cohen's willed self-alienation does not permit him to dwell in single perfect moments like Breavman in The Favorite Game. Cohen is concerned with the eternal or expanded moment of consciousness in which the individual is aware of his life and creative ability. The values which emerge from Cohen's art are directly related to a fusion of his willed self-alienated point of view and dynamic aestheticism. / Arts, Faculty of / English, Department of / Graduate

M.S.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

M.S.

A presente tese trata do advento de uma ordem constitucional moderna no Brasil que, surgida a partir da crise e desagregação do Império português na América, viabilizaria a Independência e sustentaria a construção de uma nova unidade política. O foco de análise está no embate pela normatização de um arranjo político-institucional que vinculasse o \"todo\" e as \"partes\" do que, até 1822, reconhecera-se como português, com ênfase na definição de uma esfera provincial de poder. Defende-se que, num ambiente marcado por violentos conflitos em torno de diferentes projetos de unidade ao longo do Primeiro Reinado (1822-1831) e começo da Regência (1831-1834), a consecução de um pacto político mimetizado pela idéia de Constituição teve papel fundamental, reconhecido na prioridade conferida pelos nossos primeiros legisladores à implementação de reformas jurídicas para funcionamento da máquina pública. A experiência constitucional nesses anos iniciais do Brasil independente é entendida em conjunto com seus desdobramentos na Administração, tendo em vista que a criação das leis esteve intrinsecamente ligada à sua prática positiva, e que ambas, como partes constitutivas do que se denomina como Direito Público, forneceram os pilares de sustentação do novo Império. A partir daí, sustenta-se que a Carta Constitucional de 1824, ao contrário do que se pode imaginar, teve uma extraordinária eficácia na viabilização da estrutura de um novo Estado, como fica claro nos debates em torno de sua Reforma de 1831 a 1834. O espaço da produção legislativa revelou-se como campo central para compreensão do problema, pois que ele nascia sob um novo ideal de representação política - alicerçado na concepção revolucionária de que a \"lei\" criaria \"Direito\" e não o contrário - que adquiriu a legitimidade necessária para falar em nome da \"nação / In the present thesis I deal with the development of a modern constitutional order in Brazil. An order that was cradled by the crises and desegregation of the American Portuguese Empire and also responsible for the movement of Independence and the formation of a new political entity. I focus on the struggle for the enforcement of an arrangement, both institutional and political, that enabled the development of a tie between the totality and its parts, with an emphasis on the definition of a provincial sphere of power; a totality that, until 1822, recognized itself as Portuguese. During the First Reign (1822- 1831) and the beginning of the Regency period (1831-1834), in an environment scared by violent conflicts between those who fought for different political projects, a pact mirrored on the idea of a Constitution had a primary role. To such a degree, that our first legislators considered fundamental to put in motion judicial reforms that enabled the governmental apparatuses to work. I analyze the constitutional experience, in those first years after the Brazilian independence, together with its influence on the administration of the country. It is mandatory to do so because the making of laws was closely connected to their observance. And both, as parts of what is called Public Law, were the pillars of the new Empire. By taking that into account, I uphold that the Constitution of 1824, differently of what is usually imagined, was extremely effective on grounding the new State\'s structure, as it can be seen by the debates concerning its reform. The legislative scenario revealed itself central to the understanding of the problem. That scenario evolved under a new ideal of political representation, grounded on the revolutionary concept that \"laws\" were the bearer of the \"Law\"; and to such an extent that it had the legitimacy needed for legislators to speak for the \"nation\"

A presente tese trata do advento de uma ordem constitucional moderna no Brasil que, surgida a partir da crise e desagregação do Império português na América, viabilizaria a Independência e sustentaria a construção de uma nova unidade política. O foco de análise está no embate pela normatização de um arranjo político-institucional que vinculasse o \"todo\" e as \"partes\" do que, até 1822, reconhecera-se como português, com ênfase na definição de uma esfera provincial de poder. Defende-se que, num ambiente marcado por violentos conflitos em torno de diferentes projetos de unidade ao longo do Primeiro Reinado (1822-1831) e começo da Regência (1831-1834), a consecução de um pacto político mimetizado pela idéia de Constituição teve papel fundamental, reconhecido na prioridade conferida pelos nossos primeiros legisladores à implementação de reformas jurídicas para funcionamento da máquina pública. A experiência constitucional nesses anos iniciais do Brasil independente é entendida em conjunto com seus desdobramentos na Administração, tendo em vista que a criação das leis esteve intrinsecamente ligada à sua prática positiva, e que ambas, como partes constitutivas do que se denomina como Direito Público, forneceram os pilares de sustentação do novo Império. A partir daí, sustenta-se que a Carta Constitucional de 1824, ao contrário do que se pode imaginar, teve uma extraordinária eficácia na viabilização da estrutura de um novo Estado, como fica claro nos debates em torno de sua Reforma de 1831 a 1834. O espaço da produção legislativa revelou-se como campo central para compreensão do problema, pois que ele nascia sob um novo ideal de representação política - alicerçado na concepção revolucionária de que a \"lei\" criaria \"Direito\" e não o contrário - que adquiriu a legitimidade necessária para falar em nome da \"nação / In the present thesis I deal with the development of a modern constitutional order in Brazil. An order that was cradled by the crises and desegregation of the American Portuguese Empire and also responsible for the movement of Independence and the formation of a new political entity. I focus on the struggle for the enforcement of an arrangement, both institutional and political, that enabled the development of a tie between the totality and its parts, with an emphasis on the definition of a provincial sphere of power; a totality that, until 1822, recognized itself as Portuguese. During the First Reign (1822- 1831) and the beginning of the Regency period (1831-1834), in an environment scared by violent conflicts between those who fought for different political projects, a pact mirrored on the idea of a Constitution had a primary role. To such a degree, that our first legislators considered fundamental to put in motion judicial reforms that enabled the governmental apparatuses to work. I analyze the constitutional experience, in those first years after the Brazilian independence, together with its influence on the administration of the country. It is mandatory to do so because the making of laws was closely connected to their observance. And both, as parts of what is called Public Law, were the pillars of the new Empire. By taking that into account, I uphold that the Constitution of 1824, differently of what is usually imagined, was extremely effective on grounding the new State\'s structure, as it can be seen by the debates concerning its reform. The legislative scenario revealed itself central to the understanding of the problem. That scenario evolved under a new ideal of political representation, grounded on the revolutionary concept that \"laws\" were the bearer of the \"Law\"; and to such an extent that it had the legitimacy needed for legislators to speak for the \"nation\"

Book of Mercy (1984) occupies a central place in the career of Leonard Cohen, as comparison to a wide variety of Cohen "texts," from poetry, the novel and song to the personal interview and music video, reveals. Interviews and book reviews contemporary with Book of Mercy indicate that the latter contains a sincere message of faith and prophetic warning that Cohen publicly defends. Cohen's eclectic but reverent incorporation of language and ideas from Judaeo-Christian traditions of prayer and mysticism shows his regard for the sacred expression of his predecessors. As a result, Book of Mercy stands slightly apart from the rest of Cohen's oeuvre, yet it is not simply an anomaly. Instead, it forms an integral part of a prolonged narrative of spiritual desire that began in 1956 with Cohen's first book of poetry and has continued through to his latest album, The Future (1992) and a recent poem, "On the Path." Book of Mercy marked a renewed sense of artistic vocation and conviction in the work of Leonard Cohen that remains unshaken today.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1963. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [313]-319).

Thesis (Ph.M.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1935. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record.

No description available.