Leonard Cohen's life was the bohemian enigma of a ravenous lover, the “poet laureate of pessimism” unafraid to color the world with reality and present his painting as it is: naked and true (Nadel 1). The depth of his voice that accompanies his “music to cut your veins” makes his unbearable charm as a Byronic hero even more attractive (Nadel 1). And what do heroes always complain about? A beautiful lady. Cohen's Suzanne, muse to dozens of Beat poets, but none more special than himself, was immortalized in her eponymous poem. While Cohen was in Montreal, he came into contact with Suzanne Verdal, a beautiful, young dancer with a bohemian spirit and the wife of a sculptor, Armand Vaillancourt. In an interview with Kate Saunders for the BBC, Suzanne Verdal talks about the Beat scene: The Beat scene was beautiful. It was live jazz and we were dancing our hearts out for hours and hours, happy with very little. I mean, we lived, most of us, on very little money. Yet, there was always so much to do, if you know what I mean. You know, there was so much energy, sharing, inspiration, pure moments and quality moments together with very little to no money. (Verdal) As time passed, it was clear to both of them that their relationship would not turn into a sexual relationship, but into something much deeper. He didn't want her to be compromised by carnality. The urgent appetite they felt for each other could not be satisfied by simple indulgence in lust. They had to deal with their souls, hearts and minds, as well as their bodies. In the poem, Cohen talks about his home on the St. Lawrence River and the house with the creaking wood floors, whose windows looked out onto the poetic beauty of the water. ...... half of the card ...... another half perfect for every place, but that each of us will find numerous loves throughout our lives that will adapt to us in different phases and different events ( Nadel 29). It is precisely this resistance to love and the need to become immune to its unyielding power that makes him such a melancholy and charismatic figure. His women were all loved, all revered, but in the end, this Byronic hero is left heartbroken forever, speaking the words of his heart through the lyre of his music. References: Cohen, Leonard. Unknown Music: Selected Poems and Songs, New York: Random House Inc., 1994. Print.Nadel, Ira Bruce. Various Positions: A Life of Leonard Cohen, New York: Random House Inc., 2007. Print.Verdal, Suzanne. “You probably think this song is about you.” Interview by Kate Saunders. Leonard Cohen Files. BBC Radio 4 FM, 1998. Web. 2010.