Mason Carter, born Mushahid Syed, is a lecturer in the Department of English at Shah Abdul Latif University, Ghotki Campus. He is a passionate poet and a committed pacifist, influenced by Gothic literature and libertarian socialism. His poetry explores themes of darkness, freedom, and social justice, often using melancholic and soothing imagery. His work carries a strong message of peace, love, and human dignity, reflecting a yearning for a more just and loving world. Carter’s poems are deeply personal, touching upon themes of love, loss, and the struggle for individual freedom. He frequently uses dark imagery and themes of rebellion to illustrate the struggles of the oppressed and the challenges faced by individuals in a world riddled with injustice and inequality.
All right, are you ready for this? This deep dive request, it's, well, it's seriously intriguing.
Oh, intriguing how?
Well, we're talking Gothic poetry, but also social revolution. And, get this, a mysterious name change, all in one.
Okay, you've got my attention. Lay it on me.
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.
Yeah.
His real name, it's Mushahid Syed. Quite a shift, wouldn't you say?
It is, yeah. Changing your name, especially, I mean, when you're taking on a pen name like that, it often hints at like a need for reinvention.
A reinvention.
Yeah, like a separation between the person's, you know, actual life and the persona they want in their art.
So Mason Carter is like this whole other identity he's created.
Could be a way for Syed to explore different sides of himself, maybe reach a different audience too.
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.
Definitely adds another dimension to things.
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.
Like who?
Think Murray Bookchin, that kind of thinker. Talk about an unusual pairing.
That's that's quite a combo. Poe, all those gothic vibes, the darkness, the macabre with libertarian socialism.
Right. It's like what happens when you mix those two things together?
It suggests that this poetry isn't just, you know, spooky aesthetics for the sake of it. It's deeper.
You think he's using those elements to look at something else?
It's possible societal structures, maybe the impact on individuals, things like that.
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.
Exactly. Inequality, oppression, the things people often don't want to face head on.
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.
The sleep thorns? What is he? Shakespeare.
Right. And demons are but our souls apart. Pure gothic vibes.
Very evocative. Those are classic elements for sure.
So we've got decaying nature, the presence of darkness, even demons, all those classic Gothic things.
Exactly. And all of it points to that Gothic idea of a world out of balance, a world where things just aren't right.
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?
Wow, yeah. He's not shying away from anything.
Suddenly, it's not just spooky images anymore. It feels like he's saying something more.
He's definitely using those Gothic tropes to make a point. Those decaying roses. That could be a metaphor. Maybe a dying social system. The demons. The human cost of oppression.
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.
OK, let's see where Carter takes us.
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?
Well, you know, we've got to follow the threads that Carter's weaving together. His poems, they're all about these unexpected connections.
Unexpected how?
Well, you might find a line about lost love right next to a verse about, I don't know, revolution. It's like he's saying, forget what you think poetry is supposed to be.
He's definitely not following any rule book, that's for sure. Okay, give me an example.
All right, take the poem Immortal Legacy of Anathema. Even the title is giving you a lot to think about.
Anathema. I'm going to be honest. I'd need a dictionary for that one.
Basically, it's something that's completely rejected, cast out, considered cursed. And in the poem, you see this play out. You've got this condemned individual facing a fiery death, surrounded by a hostile mob. It's intense. It's dark. It's pure Gothic.
OK, but there's another layer here, right? Like, it's not just about this one person.
You're picking up on it. Carter connects this person's suffering to something bigger.
Social injustice, is that what you're saying?
Exactly. The anathema, he becomes a symbol for anyone who challenges the system, anyone seen as a threat. It's a powerful image.
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?
There is. It's like Carter's saying that even in the darkest times, love can endure. It's a powerful message.
OK, so we've got societal condemnation, the power of love. And I also pick up on some economic commentary in there.
You absolutely did. Those lines about wage slaves being burned alive. That's Carter tackling capitalism head on the very term wage slave. It's a powerful statement about how workers are treated.
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.
That's an interesting observation. There are definitely hints of a deeper struggle. Take the tormented, for example. Lines like razor blades rip in his veins, bleak night visions fading away, and nights all cuts renewed brought euphoric memory, cursed ecstasy. I mean, this isn't just social commentary. It's deeply personal.
It's like he's fighting his own demons at the same time as he's fighting these societal ones.
Exactly. And that connection between the personal and the political, it's a recurring theme in Carter's work.
So are you saying that we can't be truly free until we confront both the chains within ourselves and the chains of society?
It's a question worth pondering, isn't it? And speaking of things that bind us, but in a, let's say, more positive way.
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.
And why not? Love, in all its messy glory, it's part of what makes us human.
And there are moments of real tenderness in his poems, even when he's knee-deep in Gothic imagery.
Right. It's a fascinating contrast. Like, take The Dark Lullaby, for instance. The title alone, it's pure Gothic romance.
But then the actual words, they have this surprising sweetness. It's unexpected.
And let's not forget about Thy Fragrance. It's like a sensory explosion with those black roses that line about the aroma mesmerizing, bewitching, and hypnotizing. It just pulls you in.
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.
It's almost as if he's saying that love, maybe even art itself, can heal us.
Heal us from the things that poison our souls. It's a powerful thought.
It is. And it seems like this idea of finding something good, something pure, even in the darkest of places, it's a thread that runs through a lot of his work.
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?
So we've talked about love, loss, and Carter's way of weaving social commentary into this gothic tapestry he's created. But it feels like he wants to take it a step further. It's not just about noticing these problems. It's like he's urging us to actually do something.
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.
What do you mean?
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.
It's intense. That imagery of being trapped, drained. It's powerful stuff.
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.
You mean like in the liberty? Because there's a lot of pain in that one, but then there's this image of writing dark hymns in the name of freedom. It's kind of inspiring, actually. It is. It speaks to the power of art as a form of resistance. Even when things feel impossible, there's power in speaking your truth, in refusing to be silenced.
And he doesn't stop there, does he? Some poems feel like a direct call to action, almost.
Right. Rebel's Lullaby, for instance. It's about as far from a soothing bedtime rhyme as you can get.
Yeah, I reread that one a couple of times. Not exactly what I'd call calming.
Lines like the red mob rally against the crown and to organize and fight is the only resolution. I mean, he's not leaving much room for interpretation there.
Pretty bold. It makes you wonder who he's really trying to reach with these poems.
You know, it's an interesting question, right? Is he preaching to the choir or does he truly believe his words can spark a revolution?
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.
And others, they might be completely thrown by it. It might challenge their worldview for the first time.
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.
I like that. Let's leave it there.
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.
He's a fascinating figure, that's for sure. And if any of you out there have got another topic you'd like us to unpack, you know where to find us.
Until next time, stay curious, friends.