SmartLess

Podbit · SmartLess

"Marcus Mumford"

Explore episode Jul 27, 2026

Where this was said

Classics, T.S. Eliot, and the Poetry Behind the Lyrics

At 29:50 · chapter starts 28:50

Jason leads Marcus through what he was studying at Edinburgh: classics, Greek and Latin, the kind of degree that leads to law or parliament in the UK but has no clear vocational path. Marcus defends it warmly: it gives you access to poetry, philosophy, language, storytelling, ancient history, and anthropology — all through the original texts. He describes the moment at 17 when he fell into T.S. Eliot and suddenly words had new depth. He drew direct connections between Homer's classical references and Eliot's allusions. He talks about sitting in coffee shops in Hudson, New York during the Prizefighter recording sessions with Aaron Dessner at Long Pond, doing his morning pages and reading poetry 'like a real twat,' fully leaning into his identity. The hosts are visibly fascinated.

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