Host 1
Appearances
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
All right, are you ready for this? This deep dive request, it's, well, it's seriously intriguing.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
It's like he's taking the gloom and doom we expect from Gothic stuff and turning it into like a commentary on the real world.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
Exactly. Okay, so before we get too far into the weeds, I want to give our listener a taste of what we're dealing with here. I dove into some excerpts, and let me tell you, lines like, The sleep thorns mourn the departed roses gave me chills.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
Right. And demons are but our souls apart. Pure gothic vibes.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
So we've got decaying nature, the presence of darkness, even demons, all those classic Gothic things.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
Okay, but then, right alongside those lines, we get this. The knights, way slaves were burned alive. And this. Capital was valued better than a mere human life to give. Whoa, right?
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
Suddenly, it's not just spooky images anymore. It feels like he's saying something more.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
That's what I call making a statement. And it makes me even more curious about this love, this loss that's woven through his palms, especially this Estrella who keeps popping up. Yeah, she seems important. But I think we're getting ahead of ourselves. We'll circle back to her.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
OK, so we're really stepping into Mason Carter's world now. Gothic imagery, social commentary. It's all swirling together. Where do we even start to unpack this?
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
So our listener, they want us to unpack the poetry of this guy, Mason Carter, specifically his collection, Gothic Poems to Love and Liberty, right? But here's the thing.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
He's definitely not following any rule book, that's for sure. Okay, give me an example.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
Anathema. I'm going to be honest. I'd need a dictionary for that one.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
OK, but there's another layer here, right? Like, it's not just about this one person.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
And there's that image of his lover, right? Watching from a distance, wearing a mask. It's kind of heartbreaking, but there's something hopeful about it, too, you know?
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
OK, so we've got societal condemnation, the power of love. And I also pick up on some economic commentary in there.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
Right. It's like they're trapped with no way out. And that feeling of being trapped. It's not just about economics, is it? There's something more going on with Carter himself.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
His real name, it's Mushahid Syed. Quite a shift, wouldn't you say?
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
It's like he's fighting his own demons at the same time as he's fighting these societal ones.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
So are you saying that we can't be truly free until we confront both the chains within ourselves and the chains of society?
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
You mean love. Because he does write a lot about love, which seems kind of counterintuitive given all the darkness we've been talking about.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
And there are moments of real tenderness in his poems, even when he's knee-deep in Gothic imagery.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
But then the actual words, they have this surprising sweetness. It's unexpected.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
It's interesting, though, because even when he's writing about love, there's often this sense of loss, like he's longing for something he can't have. Like in those lines, a spellbound soul on the Plutonian shore, long since poison spirit liberates itself. It's like something out of a gothic fairy tale.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
Heal us from the things that poison our souls. It's a powerful thought.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
Okay, so we've got love, we've got loss, we've got a healthy dose of social commentary. Where does he go next with all of this?
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
You're right. There's a definite call to action in a lot of these poems. Like Take to the Masters, for example. He doesn't hold back.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
Well, he talks about in darkened spirits from Hadean Imperium and warns, no hope thy life shall ever, ever be bailed. He's not just critiquing those in power. He's straight up calling them out.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
It really captures that feeling of being stuck in a system that seems rigged against you. But even with all the darkness, Carter offers these glimpses of hope, a different way of being.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
So Mason Carter is like this whole other identity he's created.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
And he doesn't stop there, does he? Some poems feel like a direct call to action, almost.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
Yeah, I reread that one a couple of times. Not exactly what I'd call calming.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
Pretty bold. It makes you wonder who he's really trying to reach with these poems.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
Maybe it's a bit of both, because that's the thing about art that aims for change, right? It's hard to say what kind of impact it will have. Some people might read his work and feel seen, understood, like their own anger is validated.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
And that's the power of engaging with art, isn't it? It forces us to think, to ask questions, and hopefully to work towards something better.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
Makes you think about all the layers there might be in his poetry, right? Like he's crafted this whole persona to deliver these messages.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
So to our listener, we hope this deep dive into the mind of Mason Carter, this gothic revolutionary poet, has given you a lot to think about.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
And speaking of messages, we're dealing with a wild mix here. OK, so Carter, he was super into Edgar Allan Poe, obviously, but also get this libertarian socialists.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
Think Murray Bookchin, that kind of thinker. Talk about an unusual pairing.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
Well, we're talking Gothic poetry, but also social revolution. And, get this, a mysterious name change, all in one.
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
Right. It's like what happens when you mix those two things together?
Class with Mason
Discussion on Mason Carter's Poetry
You think he's using those elements to look at something else?