Leonard Cohen, The Spice Box of Earth, (New York, NY: Viking, 1965).

Leonard Cohen’s The Spice Box of Earth is a collection of his poetry that captures the spirituality of the Beat generation. Cohen focuses mainly on religious themes: he writes about priests, angels, and the soul. In addition, he draws inspiration from books of the Bible, using biblical themes and characters in his poetry. Cohen was a practicing Jew throughout his life, and it is clear that his religious upbringing and beliefs informed his writing.

Because of Cohen’s focus on religious themes, it is evident that there is a connection between his poetry and Kerouac’s understanding of “beat” as “beatific”, indicating a familiarity with and understanding of the religious and spiritual side of Beat philosophy. Several Beat poets explore religious imagery in their poetry; words like “holy” and “soul” are littered throughout the poetry and prose of many Beat authors. The poems in The Spice Box of Earth capture an essential aspect of Beat writing and philosophy in channeling the spiritual yearning characteristic of the Beat generation.