Genesis in Poetry
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
If you are searching for a straightforward retelling of the book of Genesis in a modern idiom, this is not the book for you. If you are looking exclusively for a poetic rendering of the simple text, you’ve picked up the wrong book. If you are primarily after a textual commentary, you’ll expect one that is far more expansive. If, however, you are after a lively, dramatic, highly original, and entertaining retelling of the Genesis stories in rhymed verse, which skillfully synthesizes both critical literary analysis and exotic, folkloristic, and occasionally whimsical elements--then this book is a must! The general reader will be charmed by what one influential British poet, Ann Sansom, has described as its “close rhymes and steady rhythm [which] are indeed very musical.” The student of Bible and folklore will be especially interested in the detailed “Notes to the Text,” providing the sources for and rationales of the many supplements to the familiar traditional text.
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“A joy to read aloud and to listen to. Each section vivifies the
experiences of the biblical personalities and brings them together
in animated discussion.”
—Yvonne Green, poet, author of Honoured
“I was greatly tempted to sing parts of it. The close
rhymes and steady rhythm are indeed very musical.”
—Ann Sansom, co-director, The Poetry Business, co-editor,
Smith/Doorstop Books
“Among the acclamations I heard were ‘brilliant,’ ‘highly original
and refreshing,’ ‘inspiring,’ and ‘intriguing and
provocative.’”
—Naomi West, former teacher and organizer of poetry readings,
Israel
“I do congratulate Jeffrey Cohen on the vitality and range of
feeling that he achieves. The lines Hamor speaks, in smooth,
assured, and superficial tones, in Cohen’s telling of the story,
make this heartless and powerful figure as vivid as Claudius
celebrating his assumption of Denmark’s throne at the opening of
Hamlet.’’
—Philip Skelker, former head teacher, Immanuel College, Bushey,
UK
“Cohen’s poetry is, by any standards, masterly, and deserves a
wider audience. I found his performance (excuse the word, but it
had a distinctive media feel) educational, intellectually
stimulating, and entertaining. No mean feat!’’
—Raymond Cannon, former Chair of Governors, JFS Comprehensive
School, London
“The saying, ‘Poetry is what gets lost in translation,’ is
manifestly disproved by Cohen’s brilliant rendering of Genesis
in Poetry in this original work.”
—Judy Frankel, educationalist, UK
Product Details
- Title : Genesis in Poetry
- Author: Cohen, Jeffrey M.
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Publication Date: 2019
- ISBN: 9781725250826
Jeffrey M. Cohen has lectured in Hebrew and biblical studies at
the Universities of London and Glasgow. He has written twenty-six
books and over two hundred articles on biblical and religious
themes. His most recent work is The Book of Psalms: Poetry in
Poetry (Wipf & Stock, 2018). Audience responses to his
poetic readings at schools and religious and cultural groups have
been consistently enthusiastic. He and his wife, Gloria, have four
children and fourteen grandchildren.