Genesis in Poetry

by Jeffrey M. Cohen

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781725250826
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	11/07/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	264
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

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.

Jeffrey M. Cohen is a graduate of theological colleges in Manchester and Gateshead, United Kingdom. He obtained a first class honors degree and MPhil from London University and a PhD from Glasgow University. He has served as rabbi to some of the largest congregations in Britain and lectured in London and Glasgow universities. He is the author of twenty-five books and several hundred articles in both scholarly and popular journals, and is married with four children and fourteen grandchildren.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“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

Editorial Reviews

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

From the Publisher