--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I feel that this is a vocabulary that I…" description: "\"I feel that this is a vocabulary that I grew up with. This biblical landscape is very familiar to me, and it's natural that I use those landmarks as re..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a34/leonard-cohen-448_biblical_i-feel-that-this-is-a-vocabulary-that-i_1870929.jpg" --- # I feel that this is a vocabulary that I grew up with. This… ![“I feel that this is a vocabulary that I grew up with. This biblical landscape is very familiar to me, and it's natural that I use those landmarks as references. Once they were universal references and everybody understood and knew them and located them. That's no longer the case today, but it is…” quote by Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a34/leonard-cohen-448_biblical_i-feel-that-this-is-a-vocabulary-that-i_1870929.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a34/leonard-cohen-448_biblical_i-feel-that-this-is-a-vocabulary-that-i_1870929.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a34/leonard-cohen-448_biblical_i-feel-that-this-is-a-vocabulary-that-i_1870929.jpg) > “I feel that this is a vocabulary that I grew up with. This biblical landscape is very familiar to me, and it's natural that I use those landmarks as references. Once they were universal references and everybody understood and knew them and located them. That's no longer the case today, but it is still my landscape.” [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Biblical references once served as universal cultural landmarks, but their shared meaning has faded, though they remain personal touchstones. **In simple terms:** Biblical imagery used to be common, now less so. Key Takeaway Recognize personal cultural lenses. Themes culture language personal identity history Mood thoughtful nostalgic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - writing - public speaking - education - interpersonal communication Key Concepts shared symbols semantic shift Questions to Reflect On - How can you make your references more inclusive? - What alternative symbols resonate today? A Different Perspective Relying on niche references can alienate audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Biblical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biblical/) [Landmarks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/landmarks/) [Landscape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/landscape/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Vocabulary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vocabulary/) ## Related quotes > [Of all the bewildering things about a new country, the absence of human landmarks is one of the most depressing and disheartening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/of-all-the-bewildering-things-about-a-new-country-the-absence-of/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Human health should now be thought of as a collective property of the human-associate d microbiota, as one group of researchers recently concluded in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/human-health-should-now-be-thought-of-as-a-collective-property-of-the/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [With smoking axle hot with speed, with steeds of fire and steam, Wide-waked To-day leaves Yesterday behind him like a dream. Still, from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/with-smoking-axle-hot-with-speed-with-steeds-of-fire-and-steam-wide/) [John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/) > [Nobody likes to see that which they've invested in disappear from the face of the earth before they've even died. This is not cool.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/nobody-likes-to-see-that-which-they-ve-invested-in-disappear-from-the/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [The Universal Declaration of Human Rights... stands as a landmark achievement in the history of human liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-universal-declaration-of-human-rights-stands-as-a-landmark/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [As for the single market, the E.U.'s landmark achievement, there is no question that a euro zone breakup would severely disrupt its operation in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eichengreen/as-for-the-single-market-the-e-u-s-landmark-achievement-there-is-no/) [Barry Eichengreen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eichengreen/) > [A building does not have to be an important work of architecture to become a first-rate landmark. Landmarks are not created by architects. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-muschamp/a-building-does-not-have-to-be-an-important-work-of-architecture-to/) Herbert Muschamp > [If you are in the country, you should notice landmarks - that is, objects which help you to find your way or prevent you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-baden-powell/if-you-are-in-the-country-you-should-notice-landmarks-that-is-objects/) [Robert Baden-Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-baden-powell/) > [Routine shortens and variety lengthens time, and it is therefore in the power of men to do something to regulate its pace. A life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/routine-shortens-and-variety-lengthens-time-and-it-is-therefore-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Landscapes can be deceptive. Sometimes a landscape seems to be less a setting for the life of its inhabitants than a curtain behind which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-berger/landscapes-can-be-deceptive-sometimes-a-landscape-seems-to-be-less-a/) [John Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-berger/) > [I did not kill my father, but I sometimes felt I had helped him on his way. And but for the fact that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/i-did-not-kill-my-father-but-i-sometimes-felt-i-had-helped-him-on-his/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [The new Bournville College is not only a magnificent building and a great landmark but a source of pride for Longbridge and its communities.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waqar-azmi/the-new-bournville-college-is-not-only-a-magnificent-building-and-a/) Waqar Azmi > [Sixty felt like a big landmark. Not in a dreadful sense, but none of the other birthdays have bothered me. It's got labels on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/sixty-felt-like-a-big-landmark-not-in-a-dreadful-sense-but-none-of/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [But to carve the Grand Canyon, Earth required millions of years. To excavate Meteor Crater, the universe, using a sixty-thousand-ton asteroid traveling upward of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/but-to-carve-the-grand-canyon-earth-required-millions-of-years-to/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Ghostly legends dot the Prairie State from its big cities to its small towns. These stories make each community unique in a way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-belanger/ghostly-legends-dot-the-prairie-state-from-its-big-cities-to-its/) Jeff Belanger ## More by Leonard Cohen > [The blizzard of the world has crossed the threshold and it's overturned the order of the soul...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-blizzard-of-the-world-has-crossed-the-threshold-and-it-s/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Don't matter if you're rich and strong Don't matter if you're weak Don't matter if you write a song The nightingales repeat Don't matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/don-t-matter-if-you-re-rich-and-strong-don-t-matter-if-you-re-weak/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“You don't know me from the wind you never will, you never did I'm the little jew who wrote the Bible. I've seen the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/you-don-t-know-me-from-the-wind-you-never-will-you-never-did-i-m-the/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“This is it I’m not coming after you I’m going to lie down for half an hour This is it I’m not going down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-is-it-i-m-not-coming-after-you-i-m-going-to-lie-down-for-half-an/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [My sense of proprietorship has been so weak that actually I didn't pay attention and I lost the copyrights on a lot of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/my-sense-of-proprietorship-has-been-so-weak-that-actually-i-didn-t/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [This world is full of conflicts and full of things that cannot be reconciled. But there are moments when we can... reconcile and embrace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-world-is-full-of-conflicts-and-full-of-things-that-cannot-be/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [ I would say the hummingbird really deserves the royalties on \[some of my songs\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-would-say-the-hummingbird-really-deserves-the-royalties-on-some-of/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [One is given to self-dramatization from time to time. I intend to live forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/one-is-given-to-self-dramatization-from-time-to-time-i-intend-to-live/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [The basic function of popular music is to create an environment for courting, lovemaking, and doing the dishes. It's useful because it addresses the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-basic-function-of-popular-music-is-to-create-an-environment-for/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Blessed are you, embrace of the falling, foundation of the light, master of the human accident.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/blessed-are-you-embrace-of-the-falling-foundation-of-the-light-master/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I continually blacken pages and scribble away, so I always have a number of songs that are half-finished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-continually-blacken-pages-and-scribble-away-so-i-always-have-a/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I have nothing against the Queen of England. Even in my heart I never resented her for not being Jackie Kennedy. She is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-have-nothing-against-the-queen-of-england-even-in-my-heart-i-never/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I loved you when you opened like a lily to the heat; you see I’m just another snowman standing in the rain and sleet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-loved-you-when-you-opened-like-a-lily-to-the-heat-you-see-i-m-just/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [It's time that we began to laugh and cry and cry and laugh about it all again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/it-s-time-that-we-began-to-laugh-and-cry-and-cry-and-laugh-about-it/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“I followed the course From chaos to art Desire the horse Depression the cart”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-followed-the-course-from-chaos-to-art-desire-the-horse-depression/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) [Explore all 543 Leonard Cohen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## More Biblical quotes > [The Louvre! The Louvre has me in its clutches. Every time I'm there rich blessings rain down upon me. I am coming to understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-modersohn-becker/the-louvre-the-louvre-has-me-in-its-clutches-every-time-i-m-there/) [Paula Modersohn-Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-modersohn-becker/) > [“Richard Dawkins regards faith as an evil to be eliminated; he takes all religious faith to be blind faith. (Dawkins says) ‘Scientific belief is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennox/richard-dawkins-regards-faith-as-an-evil-to-be-eliminated-he-takes/) [John Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennox/) > [ The fall \[of your soul\] from perfection into duality...was naturally followed by the discovery of the duality of good and evil...This is the Biblical… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/the-fall-of-your-soul-from-perfection-into-duality-was-naturally/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [Even Superman's name reflects his creators' biblical knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/even-superman-s-name-reflects-his-creators-biblical-knowledge/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) > [“And I pray mark how he begins: he sets not up trophies to himself, but triumphs in his God-- "I will love thee, O…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-steele/and-i-pray-mark-how-he-begins-he-sets-not-up-trophies-to-himself-but/) [Richard Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-steele/) > [Scripture is not inerrant; believers are called to interpret biblical texts in light of tradition and reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/scripture-is-not-inerrant-believers-are-called-to-interpret-biblical/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“The Bible isn’t a list of requirements; rather, it’s a list of results after experiencing God’s love. Following God isn’t an action but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-haas/the-bible-isn-t-a-list-of-requirements-rather-it-s-a-list-of-results/) [Peter Haas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-haas/) > [I portray myself as wicked, hoping I will not be regarded as wicked. But I may be wicked in the biblical sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-flynn/i-portray-myself-as-wicked-hoping-i-will-not-be-regarded-as-wicked/) [Errol Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-flynn/) > [ \[John Calvin's\] treatment of the person and work of Christ, of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, of prayer and liturgy,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/john-calvin-s-treatment-of-the-person-and-work-of-christ-of-the-holy/) [Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/) > [If I had to choose between the two ways of approaching the deity, I should prefer the existential relational way, to the abstract philosophical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-moore-cross/if-i-had-to-choose-between-the-two-ways-of-approaching-the-deity-i/) [Frank Moore Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-moore-cross/) > [We have used the Bible as if it was a mere special constable's handbook — an opium-dose for keeping beasts of burden patient while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kingsley/we-have-used-the-bible-as-if-it-was-a-mere-special-constable-s/) [Charles Kingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kingsley/) > [Mother's Day is among the most appropriate to reflect on the true meaning of love. -I Corinthians 13:4-7](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/mother-s-day-is-among-the-most-appropriate-to-reflect-on-the-true/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [ The words 'God is love' conclude a biblical warning, not a warm and fuzzy slogan. 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