Book of Mercy #8-10

[tomsakic]

I am not DB or Simon , but, here we go.......


Memorable piece, read by Leonard in interviews, in VERY deep voice. You can hear it on Master Poems CD.

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Book of Mercy, I, 8

In the eyes of men he falls, and in his own eyes too. He falls from his high place, he trips on his achievement. He falls to you, he falls to know you. It is sad, they say. See his disgrace, say the ones at his heel. But he falls radiantly toward the light to which he falls. They cannot see who lifts him as he falls, or how his falling changes, and he himself bewildered till his heart cries out to bless the one who holds him in his falling. And in his fall he hears his heart cry out, his heart explains why he is falling, why he had to fall, and he gives over to the fall. Blessed are you, clasp of falling. He falls into the sky, he falls into the light, none can hurt him as he falls. Blessed are you, shield of falling. Wrapped in his fall, concealed within his fall, he finds his place, he is gathered in. While his hair streams back and his clothes tear in the wind, he is held up, comforted, he enters into the place of his fall. Blessed are you, embrace of the falling, foundation of the light, master of the human accident.

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Only in short, as I have to rush for another work, this piece seems like consequent elaboration of motif of the FALL, as motif goes back and forth from literary to metaforical fall. Also, very pregnant word in terms of Christianity and I guess Judaism also, as Western civilisation is the result of the fall from Eden. I. e. "In Abrahamic religion, The Fall of Man or The Story of the Fall, or simply The Fall, refers to humanity's fall from a state of innocent bliss to a state of sinful understanding. The cause of this Fall was disobedience to God and the result of it was that humankind could no longer remain in God's Garden of Eden, or walk in the sight of God." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fall_of_Man). I guess that's the fall which is the subtext of this psalm #8.

Also, the most important notion is, I believe, that only in this fall we are what we're supposed to be. Without being in the state of the fall(ing), we're actualy not humans. Within the fall, as we fall, we're gathered in, we're comforted. The fall is condition humana. That's not far from Cohen's much later (2000s) position that we're free only when we accept what we are. That was mentioned much earlier in this thread, in our discussion about the Will.

Also, we have the SHIELD, one of possible titles Leonard had for Book of Mercy, and again YOU, now "clasp of falling", "embrace of the falling", You who's blessed, the higher (of highest) instance according to whom the fall is happening and into which we're ultimately, I'd say, drawn, the instance to whom this book is dedicated as the whole, and You which is its main theme.

[lazariuk]

oh cool !!
More gravity stuff

[DBCohen]

Thanks, Tom, for introducing psalm I.8.

The first question that comes to mind here is one which we’ve already considered earlier: who is “he” here? Is he the narrator himself, as it seemed in a few of the cases? Or is it God, as in other cases? The first sentence says: “In the eyes of men he falls, and in his own eyes too”, which seems to hint that “he” is not a man. As always, there are several possible interpretations, and here another one seems to introduce itself: Lucifer, the falling angle.

Lucifer means “light bearer” in Latin, and refers to Venus when it appears as the morning star. In Christianity he is known as the falling angel who rebelled against God. He "falls from his high place”, “he falls radiantly”, these and many othere images in this psalm seem to relate to this figure. The narrator here seems to embrace the personality of Lucifer. He too has rebelled, fell from grace, sinned (to continue the theme of I.7), but he did it in style: like the magnificent angel, falling like a giant meteor in a shower of light.

But his fall is checked; someone “holds him in his falling”. This is followed by blessings, lifted again from the Jewish daily prayer: “Blessed are you, clasp of the falling” (based on Psalms 145:14). And then in another version: “shield of the falling” (we discussed “shield” under I.4). And yet again “Blessed are you, embrace of the falling”. He fell, but he did not crash. He is gathered safely in. He is back were he's supposed to be.

[In parentheses: sentences like “While his hair streams back and his clothes tear in the wind” brought about another association, perhaps a private one. It reminded me of the figure of the falling god in the imaginative world of the young girl, depicted in the wonderful book by Hannah Green (a pseudonym of Joanne Greenberg), I Never Promised You A Rose Garden, which some of you may have read.]

And about the Fall mentioned by Tom, there's more to say, perhaps some other time.

[tomsakic]

I'd say that "he" is the narrator, as in one of the previous psalms; I didn't even think it's God or whoever. Logically, the man (he, or I, if it were in first subject) and his work, or life, is seen in eyes of others (society) and in his own eyes too (self-perception). [At least I see my life from my perspective of others, from my own perspective, and (maybe?) from the perpective of higher instance.] So I didn't read this sentence as the hint it's not the narrator (if these poems are more prose than lyrics), lyrical subject, or human at all, but God or Lucifer (whose fall is indeed very famous, but I think this fall from our psalm refers more to the Fall of the Man - not only in context of our previous references to Eden - and that this (general; common) Fall is compared, or even leveled with the more private, individual fall. Anyhow, I'd say that, again, the voice of this poetry ("lyrical subject") uses "he" referring to his own experience, so he can divide his lyrical voice from his everyday experience, as was done in Death of a Lady's Man.

So maybe, there's in this book:

1. I, me = voice, I subject, lyrical subject
2. he = the main protagonist, Cohen's often objectivization of his own experience
3. You = woman, angel of song?
4. You = which is Master
5. You = God
__________________
I (me)
He,
and You, which is God, woman, Muse, Master, and - last but not least - you the reader, addressee, the recipient of literature as it's called in literary theory, and as usually in Cohen's work, that you/You (God, female, addressee) is complexly entwined (as "you" in The Law, i.e., changes from a woman, to God).

And someone else?

[DBCohen]

Tom,

I agree that in the final sense “he” refers to the narrator here; but in the lyrical sense, he is depicted as a different figure than his usual self, as a fictional figure with whom he identifies. And as I said earlier, there are many images that point in a certain direction, the direction of a specific myth which does not seem to be the Fall this time, but something else. There is a dramatic tension here which seems to point at the direction I suggested.

About the use of “you” I think we have to be cautious and check carefully, because after all this is a collection of prayers, and prayers would not have much meaning unless they are addressed to the divine.

[Simon]

I saw my fingers glisten. Then the exile closed around me. Then the
punishment began; a small aimless misery, not in the heart, in the throat

I’m a bit rushing things right now and so running behind here. About 1.7, I, like Matt, had interpreted the glistening fingers as caused by women humours, but of course Lyzz’s interpretation stands very well too. But either way, to me what is evoked was that sin may be seen as lack of respect : lack of respect for the ‘other’, the numerous women for which there was no real commitment; lack of respect for himself, or the idea of himself, in terms of onanism; or lack of respect for his artistic craving or calling.

Then, for the ten thousandth time, the reality of sin.

The idea of repetition expressed here hints towards obsessive-compulsive behavior, as Tchoco has mentioned. He said in interviews how he was blocked artistically at the time and could not sing. Maybe he felt he had entraped himself in some negative behavior patern that kept him from his life's purpose, thus maybe the

small aimless misery, not in the heart, in the throat

may have been perceived by him has a sin against his muse. He maybe has felt sorry for wasting his time and creativity. He is praying to find his voice again, a significant voice too :

Form me again with an utterance and open my mouth with your praise. There is no life but in affirming you, no world to walk on but the one which you create.

Then the exile closed around me.

I was surprised that nobody picked up here the idea of ‘exile’. ‘Exile’ will come up again in the psalms. Exile from what, from where? He is known as the ‘canadien errant’ and he’s mentioned feeling exiled here and there over time in his work and in interviews. Here maybe he felt exiled from his creative power, wasted on female humours or on his own semen.

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Tom, you mentioned that there was in fact 150 original psalms of which he selected 50 to mark his 50th anniversary. I was wondering if the 150 had been written more or less in a linear maner, or if there was a linear logic to the ensemble. In which case the post selection would have broken that logic or the progressive development of the work thus making it more difficult to interpret the work. In other words there could be some pieces of the puzzle missing.

Jack, I'm not sure precisely what you mean when you talk about over interpreting the work, but often I stop the mind game and try to be touched by it in a more impressionistic way. Beautiful Loser has that impressionistic power for exemple or at least some large passages of it. Here it works as well but to a much lesser extent than BL. BoM doesn't seem to come from the same side of his brain (or the same dope). It is more contructed on cultural references that are not familiar to me. So in order to make some sense out of it I have to analyse and learn a few tricks. Many passages in BL still make me go WoW! Even if meaning is unclear or ambiguous. The rythm, the energy, the images, there is a spontanious and luminous force in BL that makes it impressionistic and that I don't find here so much in BoM. But sometimes yes. Maybe it is in the eyes of the beholder...

[Simon]

I don't remember who, but someone earlier breifly mentioned Rudolf Otto.
It's always been at the back of my mind that LC is in fact chasing what Otto calls the numinous. I just thought that it might be worth bringing the concept into the discussions about BoM.

The Wikipedia definition»»»

Numinous is a term coined by Rudolf Otto to describe that which is wholly other. The numinous is the mysterium tremendum et fascinans that leads in different cases to belief in deities, the supernatural, the sacred, the holy, and the transcendent.

See also Rudolf Otto's Concept of the "Numinous"»»»

Otto was one of the most influential thinkers about religion in the first half of the twentieth century. He is best known for his analysis of the experience that, in his view, underlies all religion. He calls this experience "numinous," and says it has three components. These are often designated with a Latin phrase: mysterium tremendum et fascinans. As mysterium, the numinous is "wholly other"-- entirely different from anything we experience in ordinary life. It evokes a reaction of silence. But the numinous is also a mysterium tremendum. It provokes terror because it presents itself as overwhelming power. Finally, the numinous presents itself as fascinans, as merciful and gracious. (Gregory D. Alles [http://www.netrax.net/~galles/])



Outline of Otto's concept of the numinous (based on The Idea of the Holy. Trans. John W. Harvey. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1923; 2nd ed., 1950 [Das Heilige, 1917]):

"Mysterium tremendum et fascinans" (fearful and fascinating mystery):

"Mysterium": Wholly Other, experienced with blank wonder, stupor

"tremendum":
awefulness, terror, demonic dread, awe, absolute unapproachability, "wrath" of God
overpoweringness, majesty, might, sense of one's own nothingness in contrast to its power
creature-feeling, sense of objective presence, dependence
energy, urgency, will, vitality

"fascinans": potent charm, attractiveness in spite of fear, terror, etc.

[lazariuk]

With the exception of one word I think this page describes very clearly a man's experiencing a relationship with the absolute, something which Leonard is quick to point out is available to everyone. I think though that experiencing it this way is a he experience and not a she experience. In the previous page he moves toward the gravity of the Name. This page deals with some of the consequenses of that gravity.

It reminds me a lot of what it was like to be four years old. More later.

Jack

[lazariuk]

I don't remember who, but someone earlier breifly mentioned Rudolf Otto.
It's always been at the back of my mind that LC is in fact chasing what Otto calls the numinous. I just thought that it might be worth bringing the concept into the discussions about BoM.

I think more suitable would be Martin Buber's "I - Thou"

Jack

[Tchocolatl]

It was Oryema, Geoffrey Oryema. They have put it on the site now (yesterday it was not there yet :

http://www.radio-canada.ca/radio/emissi ... umero=1575

[Simon]

Jack, the numinous is involved somewhere in the "I-Thou" / "I-It" described by Buber, so maybe Otto and Buber do not exclude one another.

to see a woman bathing

LC at one level, maybe percieves feminine beauty as numinous, as an emanation of the divine. In dumbstruck awe he may be fooled in this perception that there is possible salvation in the relation to this beauty or to the feminine. But it may take more then glistenig fingers to reach "I-Thou" or even "I-It" for that mater. This is a continous process of trial and error. Wasn't David hit by the numinous when he first saw Bathsheba on the roof? Could it have been only a matter of lust. The man already had close to 200 wives. Why her? Why her at that precise moment?

[Tchocolatl]

Oh! I did not read the previous thread before posting the name of the singer I heard signing "Suzanne" yesterday - and now I see that it could be quite confusing. It was not intentional. Please continue on the numinous path.

Simon, it is how some compulsive people are feeling in regard of their compulsion : it is the center of the universe, the greatest provider of pleasure and pain. Once they have satisfied to their compulsion they experience a surge of pleasure, then (except for psycho) a shame, a down in the mood, a disgust of the object of compulsion for a while, until the desire for it grows again. Like in anorexia for example. At some level of consciousness, people know that this is an unsane pattern that serve to mask a problem of some sort. They are lucky those ones, because they still can feel something, a least and then make the decision go on with their lifes at some point. Some others don't even feel anyting anymore, and therefore, can not make any decision.

[Tchocolatl]

I am not DB or Simon , but, here we go.......


Memorable piece, read by Leonard in interviews, in VERY deep voice. You can hear it on Master Poems CD.

Great!

----------------------------------------------

Book of Mercy, I, 8

In the eyes of men he falls, and in his own eyes too. He falls from his high place, he trips on his achievement. He falls to you, he falls to know you. It is sad, they say. See his disgrace, say the ones at his heel. But he falls radiantly toward the light to which he falls. They cannot see who lifts him as he falls, or how his falling changes, and he himself bewildered till his heart cries out to bless the one who holds him in his falling. And in his fall he hears his heart cry out, his heart explains why he is falling, why he had to fall, and he gives over to the fall. Blessed are you, clasp of falling. He falls into the sky, he falls into the light, none can hurt him as he falls. Blessed are you, shield of falling. Wrapped in his fall, concealed within his fall, he finds his place, he is gathered in. While his hair streams back and his clothes tear in the wind, he is held up, comforted, he enters into the place of his fall. Blessed are you, embrace of the falling, foundation of the light, master of the human accident.

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How interesting the reading of your post is, guys.

Lazariuk, the theory of the falling "he that can not be a she" stands if we consider "he falls to know you".

DBCohen I can't help but to see this with Christian's eyes, the crucifixion. And add to this your comment about "he" being God and Man, as Jesus is both. God sent His Son as a human being among human beings. It is written that he had to fall in order to succeed in his spiritual mission to be the Savior of humanity - to die and to resurrect from the deads - to bring a new life for humanity, because of God Loves. But at any time Jesus could have refused to do what God had asked him, but he choose to trust his Father, for a God it is easy but for a God in a human body, it was very much like falling. Christinanity is reliated to the Sacred Heart - or if you prefer in buddhist terms : it is there to open the chakra of the heart in a human being. Jesus said : "I am the light, I am the life, follow me and you'll have the eternal life".

This said, all the other interpretations I have read here seems as accurate to me as this one.[/quote]

[lazariuk]

I had just turned 4 and one night I awoke and went to an open window during a warm summer's night after everyone else had gone to sleep. I was staring at the stars when all of a sudden I found myself falling through the night at enormous speeds. The moment was filled with fear which turned to absolute terror and in this moment of terror of not knowing where I was headed or why I was there, I let go and accepted in a way that maybe only young children can do. At that moment the terror changed to awe.

The fact of existance, how little we know, the miracle of it all filled me with awe. At this moment I felt something gently holding me - so gentle that I had hardly noticed it. I turned and saw that the Earth was travelling with me. These emotions and experiences so powerful and so overwhelming caused me to run to my parents bedroom and bury myself in their warmth and protection.

It left me bewildered and with a disgrace that came through the early years of school.

We really are all falling through space at extremly high speeds but we don't necessarily always experience it that way. I often look back at that moment and marvel at how caring seemed the hold of the earth. Lizzy did well to point out the gentleness that wouldn't crush a feather.

Anyway thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

Jack

[Tchocolatl]

Stick to it, dear but please don't fly to close to the sun.

As your story reminds me of Icarius.

Now we may want to come back into the dedalus of the numinous.
(As, Simon my previous post to you was in answer to the first one not your last one.)