Analysis & Behind the Scenes
Beast Wishes
Dear all,
Disclaimer
If you followed the two previous analyses, which were meant to act as “ambassadors” for the new direction I wanted to give my Substack, you probably noticed that the poem published last Friday is written in a noticeably different style from its predecessors.
First of all, the three poems recently released — Astra, Duality, and Beast Wishes — had already been published on my blog.
Negligence or laziness, you might think? In truth, I chose them because they best represent what I wanted to highlight and accurately reflect the way I function as a writer.
The first poem in the series was written in a more formal style. The second, Duality, was in fact an initial attempt to explain the stylistic shifts I was beginning to explore. The third stands as a perfect illustration of a style that contrasts sharply with my earliest work.
To complete the circle, the next poem to be published will be a brand-new piece, fully aligned with the direction I am now embracing.
You probably sensed it already: the latest poem resonates with the holiday season, though far less with the joyful atmosphere usually associated with it.
It is less subtle than the previous ones — quite literally — and noticeably freer, more chaotic in its stylistic structure.
The poem addresses hypocrisy, here framed through the lens of social obligations tied to the holiday season.
It follows a protagonist sharing his feelings about an event that could be likened to one of the traditional holiday dinners. The event itself is never explicitly named, as the observation extends beyond the festive period and applies to social situations more broadly.
We quickly understand that he does not want to be there. Yet he shows up, plays the role assigned to him — a role he has likely helped build and confine himself within.
I am particularly fond of the comparison found in this passage:
Play the fool.
“Go ahead, show off, Fido.”
A prostitute on demand,
Dressed as a clown.
The first line clearly establishes the role the protagonist has assumed: that of the fool.
The second line references the name “Fido,” commonly used for dogs, evoking the image of making an animal perform tricks for someone else’s satisfaction.
The third line is far more blunt, expressing the way the protagonist perceives himself.
Finally, dressed as a clown refers both to the entertainer role mentioned earlier and, more subtly, to the idea that clowns are often deeply melancholic figures behind their painted smiles.
The following passage also interests me, as it shows that despite his criticism, the protagonist reflects on his own responsibility and willingly plays along.
Once again, duality emerges: he condemns the situation, yet rather than changing it, he finds a certain comfort in participating in the celebration.
He then shifts toward moments he considers more genuine, favoring spontaneity — embodied here by a phone call in the middle of the night. This suggests both a nocturnal nature and an attraction to extremes, or at least to situations that fall outside conventional norms.
The conclusion circles back to the opening lines: the protagonist, who never wanted to be there in the first place, still plays the game and traps himself in this very hypocrisy. He is unable to find — or voice — the words that would truly allow him to drop the mask.
Themes such as social pressure, hypocrisy, and the masks we wear are particularly close to my heart, and I believe they are effectively explored here. We are confronted with a protagonist who denounces a practice that disturbs him while simultaneously being part of it — and even contributing to it.
From a stylistic standpoint, this poem was among the first in which I took pleasure in breaking away from my earlier habits: short sentences, sparse rhymes, colloquial and sometimes slang-driven language. It also introduces an element that will become recurring in most of my later work: an invitation to reflect on the underlying issues rather than condemning them outright.
The goal is a form of intellectual honesty — to analyze what unfolds before passing judgment.
Peace & Bliss,
Aaron