A white cross for a wind-torn mountain- what does this mean?

Debate on Leonard Cohen's poetry (and novels), both published and unpublished. Song lyrics may also be discussed here.
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Mosesnachmanides
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Joined: Thu Jun 18, 2015 12:45 pm

A white cross for a wind-torn mountain- what does this mean?

Post by Mosesnachmanides »

I cannot make sense of this phrase in Saint Catherine Street.
Cate
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Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 4:27 am

Re: A white cross for a wind-torn mountain- what does this m

Post by Cate »

a few thoughts, hoping that something is helpful
"Will no one carve from our bodies a white cross
for a wind-torn mountain
or was that forsaken man's pain
enough to end all passion"
there is a huge cross on Mount Royal that might get into the blood of a young man on Saint Catherine Street (not to far away from both where he grew up and Saint Catherine Street. Saint Catherine Street is not far from the Saint Lawrence river so I think that that might be the 'free river'. I think that this stanza might also be referencing back to the earlier question of "how may we be saints and live in golden coffins"

in the poem he's playing around a lot with religion/passion/loss of passion, perhaps there's a connection there as well to the physical landmarks he's mentioning.

I think that you might also look for a possible connection to the "wind torn mountain' and the "dry faces and hands" of the nuns.



(why does young Leonard want to be a saint/have his physical self carved into a cross?)
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