extended essay on taylor swift

A Poet on Taylor Swift’s Complicated Embrace of Tortured Poets

W ho was the first tortured poet? Maybe the ancient Egyptian who wrote, sometime in the 15th century BCE, "My beloved stirs my heart with his voice. He causes illness to seize me.... My heart is smitten." Maybe the poet Catullus, whose heartbreaks lit up ancient Rome: "I hate and love," he explained in Latin, "and it's excruciating," or (depending on the translator) "it crucifies me." Petrarch's sonnets, in 14th century Italy, complained that love both scorched and chilled. Mary Wroth, a contemporary of Shakespeare, agreed: love made her "burn and yet freeze: better in hell to be."

All those poets felt tortured by erotic love—and their strife sometimes hurt other people, too, if they came too close. The trope of the tortured poet whose gifts would destroy him (or, less often, her) came about later, when European writers began to see poets as especially sensitive, anguished, or fragile. "We poets in our youth begin in gladness," William Wordsworth mused in 1802, "But thereof in the end come despondency and madness." That second line lengthens as if unfolding hard truth. A genuine poet in France might be a "poète maudit" ("cursed poet"), like Charles Baudelaire or Arthur Rimbaud, marked by fate, mental illness, or alcohol addiction. By the 20th century the type (or stereotype, really) could fit all manner of wild and self-destructive creators, especially men, from Dylan Thomas to the Doors' Jim Morrison.

By calling her new album The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor Swift points back to this tradition. She also makes fun of it, comments on it, and rejects it, as the prose that accompanied the album implies. "There is nothing to avenge, no scores to settle once wounds have healed," Swift wrote in an Instagram post. "Our tears become holy in the form of ink on a page. Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it."

Seeing her work as ink on a page, not only as song in the air, Swift claims herself as a literary writer—the modern age’s most notorious poet. Fans first speculated that she appropriated the "tortured" mantle from the group chat co-run by her ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn, which Alwyn called "The Tortured Man Club.” Could be—but it’s so much more than that, and it might also point to other recent relationships . Taylor creates some distance between herself and the stereotype she invokes. "You're not Dylan Thomas, I'm not Patti Smith," Swift's title track declares. "This ain't the Chelsea Hotel. We're modern idiots." He's not that gifted, and she's not that dramatic. Or rather she's dramatic in a different, far more deliberate way: one that fits her own, always thoughtful, but rarely raw, art.

Read More: All the References in Taylor Swift’s Title Track ‘The Tortured Poets Department’

Swift also takes back for herself—and for other women artists—the power that supposedly comes from chronic distress, from feeling like a tortured mess. "You wouldn't last an hour in the asylum where they raised me," Swift warns on "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" If she feels tortured and reacts with poetry, that's not endemic to poets; it's the logical consequence of a romance gone wrong and a live lived in public. "I was tame, I was gentle till the circus life made me mean,” she sings. “You caged me and then you called me crazy/ I am what I am 'cause you trained me.”

But if Swift has become the chair of the Tortured Poets Department, she didn't get there by being born this way: the rest of the department did it to her. Her barbed words, sharp hooks, and sarcastic replies are more like Wroth's burning and freezing than they are like Baudelaire's doom. They share, and make fun, of her own emotional extremes. "Whether I'm gonna be your wife or gonna smash up your bike I don't know yet," she explains on “imgunnagetyouback,” punningly. "But I'm gonna get you back”—either get you to come back to me, or get back at you. Her phrases present a feminist revenge, turning her pain into (what else?) song. "I cry a lot but I am so productive it's an art," she croons on one of the most upbeat new tracks “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.” "You know you're good when you can even do it with a broken heart."

Like all Swift's albums, The Tortured Poet Department contains multitudes and multiple takes on the same situation, just as it contain several pop styles, from the 1980s-style synths in the album’s single “Fortnight,” composed with Post Malone, to the acoustic guitar and string sweeps of "The Albatross," created with reference to Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Wordsworth's ex-friend, a self-sabotaging poet for the ages). In "But Daddy I Love Him" Swift strikes back, with extra reverb, at fans who insist on telling her who to date and how. In "Down Bad" she encapsulates her toughest, most immature moments in elegant half-rhyme: "everything comes out teenage petulance. I might just die, it would make no difference." But Swift for most of the album, for all her passion and all her pain, knows better than to blow up her life for love. Like her character in "The Bolter," she knows how to save herself, even when love feels like drowning.

The tortured modern poet—the poète maudit—the trope that Swift's new album takes up and plays with and against, remains a powerful metaphor (she is no authority on literal torture, and never pretends to be one). Listeners who have been sorting through The Tortured Poets Department since both halves of it dropped, two hours apart, have already found our own favorites, mirrors for our own falls through thin ice.

Read More: Taylor Swift Is Embracing the 5 Stages of Grief. Should You?

It's surprising, even staggering, to see the range of her responses to love, to poetry, and to "torture." Sometimes she magnifies, even celebrates, her own and her characters' emotional turmoil. Other times (as in the title track) she makes fun of the way they, as would-be "tortured poets," cannot get out of their own heads. And sometimes—to quote another poet, William Butler Yeats—she mocks mockers after that, telling us to stop telling her what to do.

Always, though, she shows us the craft she shares with the great poets, and songwriters, of times past: the ability, as Yeats also put it, "to articulate sweet sounds together," and to "work harder than all these"—harder than anybody—at turning all those feelings into art.

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Taylor Swift’s Depiction in Genre, Culture, and Society Essay

Introduction, reference list.

Taylor Swift is one of today’s most well-known and influential people. As a singer-songwriter, fashion icon, and philanthropist, she has amassed millions of fans worldwide. This essay examines Taylor Swift’s depiction in the media and society and how her image has influenced how people see her. Taylor Swift is depicted in the media and everyday life as a personable, down-to-earth individual who connects with a diverse range of individuals (Aguirre, 2019). Her prominence bolsters this portrayal as a fashion icon and socially concerned advocate, which positions her as an inspiration to her fans.

Taylor Swift is typically regarded as a personable and genuine person who connects with many admirers, both young and elderly. She is well-known for her narrative songs, many of which are inspired by her own experiences and relationships (Jensen, 2019). Hence, she has earned a reputation as a musician who can connect and engage with her audience on a human level. For example, Taylor Swift’s image in the media includes her standing as a fashion star. Swift is well-known for her particular style, which combines old and new elements. She has worked with several fashion firms, including Louis Vuitton and Stella McCartney, and has appeared in several fashion magazines (BillboardStyle, 2022). This fashion icon portrayal has helped to cement her status as a likable personality who is not afraid to experiment with her appearance.

Taylor Swift’s advocacy and kindness are other examples of how she is regarded in society. Swift has been vocal about various social and political issues, including LGBTQ rights and education. She has also been involved in several charitable activities, such as attempts to alleviate hunger and assist disaster victims (Rice, 2020). This portrayal of her as a socially conscious and committed celebrity has contributed to her standing as an inspiration and role model for her fans.

In conclusion, in the media and society, Taylor Swift is portrayed as an approachable, genuine person who connects with various people. Her status as a fashion icon and socially conscious activist solidifies this portrayal and positions her as an inspiration to her followers. Taylor Swift has received recognition not only for her status as a socially conscious campaigner and fashion icon but also for her philanthropic activities and support of numerous non-profit organizations. Her dedication to using her position to improve the world has bolstered her reputation as a role model and an inspiration to her supporters.

Aguirre, A. (2019) ‘ Taylor Swift on sexism, scrutiny, and standing up for herself ‘, Vogue , Web.

BillboardStyle, B. (2022) ‘ Taylor Swift’s style evolution, from 2006 to now ‘, Billboard, Web.

Jensen, E. (2019) ‘ Dwayne Johnson, Taylor Swift, Gayle King, more cover time’s 100 most influential people issue ‘, USA Today: Time magazine. Gannett Satellite Information Network. Web.

Larocca, C. (2019) ‘ Taylor Swift is the artist of the Decade ‘ , Insider, Web.

Rice, N. (2020) ‘ Taylor Swift promises to ‘always advocate’ for rights of the LGBTQ community: I’m ‘grateful for this ‘, People, Web.

Chicago (A-D)
Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, February 6). Taylor Swift’s Depiction in Genre, Culture, and Society. https://ivypanda.com/essays/taylor-swifts-depiction-in-genre-culture-and-society/

"Taylor Swift’s Depiction in Genre, Culture, and Society." IvyPanda , 6 Feb. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/taylor-swifts-depiction-in-genre-culture-and-society/.

IvyPanda . (2024) 'Taylor Swift’s Depiction in Genre, Culture, and Society'. 6 February.

IvyPanda . 2024. "Taylor Swift’s Depiction in Genre, Culture, and Society." February 6, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/taylor-swifts-depiction-in-genre-culture-and-society/.

1. IvyPanda . "Taylor Swift’s Depiction in Genre, Culture, and Society." February 6, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/taylor-swifts-depiction-in-genre-culture-and-society/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Taylor Swift’s Depiction in Genre, Culture, and Society." February 6, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/taylor-swifts-depiction-in-genre-culture-and-society/.

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The Tortured Poets Department / The Anthology

Taylor Swift The Tortured Poets Department

1 of 2 The Tortured Poets Department Dots Republic Dots 2024

By Olivia Horn

Pop/R&B

April 22, 2024

Taylor Swift ’s music was once much bigger than her. A born storyteller, she gathered up the emotional ephemera of her life and molded it into indelible songs about herself, but also about young women—about their sorrow, their desire, their wit and will. She was the girl next door with the platinum pen, her feelings worth hearing about not simply because they existed but because she turned them into art.

Those days are gone. Swift, pumped up to mythical proportions by discursive oxygen, is bigger than her body of work—no knock against her body of work. She is her own pantheon: a tragic hero and a vindicated villain ; an inadvertent antitrust crusader and a one-woman stimulus package ; an alleged climate criminal and fixer ; The Person of the Year of the Girl . Over the past 13 months, she’s strapped on her spangled bodysuit and performed a Herculean feat three nights a week on the highest-grossing tour of all time, earning her vaunted billion-dollar valuation . Her musical achievements are remarkable. But nobody makes a billion dollars from music alone.

The Tortured Poets Department , Swift’s 11th studio album, senses that widening gap between Taylor Swift the artist and Taylor Swift the phenomenon, and wants to fill it with a firehose of material. The burden of expectation is substantial: This is Swift’s first body of new work since the end of a years-long relationship and a pair of high-profile, whirlwind romances—one of which, with the 1975 ’s Matty Healy, appears to have provided much of the inspiration here. Fans came to Tortured Poets seeking emotional catharsis, or at least the salacious details. Swift, it seems, wanted the comfort of familiarity. Returning to Jack Antonoff and the National ’s Aaron Dessner, her primary songwriting and producing partners of the last several years, Swift picks up threads from Folk - more and Midnights without quite pulling anything loose.

Tortured Poets ’ extended Anthology edition runs over two hours, and even in the abridged version, its sense of sprawl creeps down to the song level, where Swift’s writing is, at best, playfully unbridled and, at worst, conspicuously wanting for an editor. The winking title track—a joke about its subjects’ self-seriousness—makes fun of the performance of creative labor, which is funny, given the show that Swift is putting on herself. She piles the metaphors on thick, throws stuff at the wall even after something has stuck, picks up the things that didn’t stick and uses them anyway.

That’s why we end up in “Florida!!!” for no apparent reason; why the dirge “So Long, London” names five different causes of death; why “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” is allowed to work a schoolyard premise until it cracks. But unruliness also produces the wild wonder of “But Daddy I Love Him,” a spiritual descendent of “Love Story” where the protagonists are knocking down castle walls instead of stealing glances in the ballroom. Dessner’s propulsive string arrangement and Swift’s narrative marks keep the song moving even as it stretches towards six minutes, reaching flights of fantasy unlike anything else on this album. Swift is nimble here, heel-turning and cackling through the chorus (“I’m having his baby/No I’m not, but you should see your faces”).

Perhaps she’s after a sort of text painting—an effort to reflect the all-consuming, uncontainable nature of her sordid affair in the shape of the music itself. Perhaps she is playing with scale, drawing a contrast between a relationship’s brevity and its broad impact. “Fortnight,” a lethargic, druggy opener with an oozing Post Malone feature, sets up both the timeline and the stakes: “I love you/It’s ruining my life/I touched you for only a fortnight.” From there, Swift assembles, song by song, an exquisite corpse of a love interest, a “tattooed Golden Retriever” who smokes like a chimney and plays with guns and makes her feel like a kid again and could maybe, possibly, father kids of her own. He is alluring and unreliable. He has a terrible reputation. He is the conduit through which Swift returns to many of the themes that have defined her 2020s output: marriage and commitment; the currency of youth; the cruelty of public opinion.

There is a clear emphasis here on vulnerability; it’s an effort to rub some of the varnish off of Taylor Swift the commercial product and focus on Taylor Swift the tender, unlucky romantic with whom we fell in love so many years ago. No matter her stature, Swift can still reach the everywoman. She is versed in memespeak: “Down Bad” works because of the juxtaposition between its banal hook and its description of “cosmic love”; the corporate girlies will go feral for “I cry a lot but I am so productive” (“I Can Do It With a Broken Heart”). I can even get on board with the outlaw machinations of “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can),” if mostly for the lyrical backflip of its chorus: “They shook their heads saying, ‘God help her’ when I told ’em he’s my man/But your good Lord didn’t need to lift a finger/I can fix him, no really I can.”

Swift would have us believe that this album represents an unprecedented level of access to her inner life—an exorcism of her true feelings about a relationship whose general outline is widely recognizable. “I’ve never had an album where I needed songwriting more than I needed it on Tortured Poets ,” she told an audience in Melbourne ahead of the release. Remember, though, that she has been using songs to litigate her private affairs with public figures since her breakup with Joe Jonas in 2008. What’s changed is not the intimate writing; it’s the appetite for the minutiae of Swift’s life, and the sheer quantity of material she’s feeding it with. Clues and keywords that might once have been left for the liner notes are littered throughout the lyrics. If you know, you know; if you don’t, please choose from any of the hundreds of explainers .

It’s not Swift’s fault that we’re so obsessed with her, but this album gives the impression that she can’t quite hear herself over the roar of the crowd. Tearjerkers like “So Long, London” and “loml” fall short when every lyric carries equal weight. There’s no hierarchy of tragic detail; these songs fail to distill an overarching emotional truth, tending to smother rather than sting. It would help if Swift were exploring new musical ideas, but she is largely retreading old territory—unsurprising, perhaps, given that the last three years of her life have been consumed by re-recording her old albums and touring her past selves. The new music is colored in familiar shades of Antonoff (sparse drum programming, twinkly synths) and Dessner (suppler, more strings). Songs sound like other songs—“I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” like Midnights ’ “Mastermind”; the intro of “So Long, London” like that of Folklore ’s “My Tears Ricochet.” Her melodies feel staid, like they are made to fit the music, rather than the other way around.

Also familiar are Swift’s tortured ideas about her own public image. The morbidly sexy Antonoff joint “Guilty as Sin?” has her “drowning in the Blue Nile,” borrowing the backbeat of “ The Downtown Lights ,” and comparing herself to Jesus, crucified for her trysts. On “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?”, the imagery is convoluted: Swift is both a defanged circus animal and a witch who “put narcotics into all of [her] songs.” The Swift of “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” is more fun but still creepy—a glittering zombie under stage lights, smiling as she rots away inside.

Swift the workhorse, Swift the beacon of capitalism, Swift on a never-ending conveyor belt between the stage and the studio. This is the Swift that brings us The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology , maximally bloated with 15 (15!) additional songs. Those that stand out mostly do so for the wrong reasons: There’s the one that borrows its premise from Olivia Rodrigo , but executes it less skillfully; the one where Swift dwells on her resentment toward Kim Kardashian; the one with that weird lyric about racism in the 1830s. This data-dump release strategy is not at all unique to Swift; it’s a concession to the modern music economy, which incentivizes artists to batch as many songs as possible, in as many packages as possible, to juice streams and sales. I look back fondly on the more modest tactics of “Our Song,” the last track on Swift’s debut , where she literally sang “play it again” in the final chorus.

If Swift believes that output for its own sake is what she has to offer, she underestimates her gift. Listeners who believe that her every ounce of experience is inherently interesting—because she was the one to have it—misunderstand her as well. Taylor Swift doesn’t need a whole album to tell the story of a relationship; she only needs one song, sometimes even one line. She almost has it in Tortured Poets ’ title track, with the tossed-off brilliance of “We’re modern idiots.” She’s nearly there with the vignette, which needs a bit more burnishing, about her man slipping a ring from her middle to her eager left ring finger at dinner. You can see what she’s chasing here: the moment in time that triggers a flash of feeling that lasts forever—the sort of thing people call Swiftian. We’ve been students of Swift’s poetry for years. The lesson of The Tortured Poets Department is not to push through the pain—it’s to take the time to process it.

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So what exactly makes taylor swift so great.

Taylor Swift performs during the “Eras” tour.

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Christina Pazzanese

Harvard Staff Writer

Experts weigh in on her fanbase loyalty, skills as songwriter, businesswoman as her albums, tours break financial, popularity records

Whether you’re a fan of Taylor Swift or not, it’s hard to deny the cultural and financial juggernaut the pop superstar has become this year. Her album “Midnights,” released in late 2022, was the year’s top-seller at 1.8 million copies, twice that of the second-biggest by Harry Styles. Her latest, “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version),” debuted in July at No. 1, giving Swift her 12th in the top spot, surpassing Barbra Streisand for the most No. 1 albums by a woman artist.

Swift’s 131-date “Eras” world tour, currently packing stadiums across the U.S., is on track to be the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, at $1.4 billion, when it ends next year. Analysts estimate the tour will also have a total economic impact from tour-related spending of $5 billion on host cities. Even the Federal Reserve noted the effect her tour is having on regional economies.

To better understand the Swift phenomenon, the Gazette asked some Harvard and Berklee College of Music faculty to assess her artistry, fan base, the tour’s economic impact, and her place in the industry. Interviews have been edited for clarity and length.

‘Very few people have her songwriting talent’ Stephanie Burt, poet and Donald P. and Katherine B. Loker Professor of English

Gazette: How good is Swift as a songwriter?

Burt: She has a terrific ear in terms of how words fit together. She has a sense both of writing songs that convey a feeling that can make you imagine this is the songwriter’s own feelings, like in “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” and a way of telling stories and creating characters. She can write songs that take place at one moment, and she can write songs where the successive verses give you a series of events, like in “Betty” or “Fifteen.”

She has a lot of different gifts as a songwriter, both at the macro level, how the song tells a story or presents an attitude, and at the micro level, how the vowels and consonants fit together, and she’s able to exercise that range, along with quite a lot of melodic gifts, and in a way that does not make her seem highbrow or alienate potential audience members. I would not be surprised to discover that her body of songwriting altogether had a larger number of words than any body of comparable hit songs by a comparable songwriter, except for someone like Bob Dylan.

One of the things that’s really remarkable for me about her is that harmonically, she’s not usually that interesting. It’s pretty normal pop chord progressions and pretty standard varieties of pop arrangement. Her great genius and her innovations and her brilliance as a songwriter is melodic and verbal. And, of course, she’s also very good at singing, which is not to be sneezed at. But she’s able to do that within the fairly tight constraints of existing, easily recognizable chord progressions and rhythmic setups.

She’s able to create verbal hooks, “I’m only 17. I don’t know anything, but I know I miss you.” They stick in your mind, and you spin stories out from them. That’s just being a good writer. She’s a celebrity with a complicated personal life that has been lived in the public eye for quite some time, and so, people speculate about the meanings of her songs, both because they are complex and meaningful works of art, and because some of them do speak to public facts about her life outside the songs.

“Fifteen,” which is a terrific song, gains resonance if you know that it’s about a real person and they’re still friends. But no one would care if it weren’t a brilliantly constructed song. Take something from “Speak Now”: It’s nice to know that “Dear John” is about John Mayer, who really had no business dating a 19-year-old, but it’s also a song about a pattern [of behavior], and it works in itself.

There’s all kinds of celebrity gossip about pop stars who maybe have her level of vocal talent and performing talent but happen not to have her level of songwriting talent. Very few people have her songwriting talent.

Gazette: Which songs would you count among your very favorites?

Burt: There’s so many good songs. I find the ones that speak to me the most are the ones whose topics are closest to my own life. I’m a queer lady. She writes wonderful songs about falling in love or falling out of love with various guys. Those are not, by and large, my favorites even though they’re some of her biggest hits. “Fifteen,” “Betty,” “seven,” “It’s Nice to Have a Friend.”

I actually really like “The Last Great American Dynasty.” The two indie folk albums [“Folklore” and “Evermore”], almost everything on them is amazing. It’s so hard to sustain that level of success artistically while changing that much. Few can do it. “Nothing New” is amazing. “Anti-Hero,” which is the big hit from “Midnights,” is an absolutely fantastic and extraordinarily self-conscious song about being the kind of celebrity that she’s become.

4 albums in Billboard top 10

Taylor Swift is the only living artist to have four albums in the Billboard top 10 at the same time since Herb Alpert in 1966. Following his death in 2016, Prince had five albums in the top 10. (Swift is the only woman with four albums in the top 10 at the same time since the Billboard 200 was combined from its previously separate mono and stereo album charts into one all-encompassing list in August of 1963.)

Source: Billboard

‘Strong social and emotional bond that people feel with her’ Alexandra Gold , clinical fellow in psychology at MGH and Harvard Medical School

Gazette: Swift appears to have a devoted fan base who feel intensely connected to her and her music. Why is that?

GOLD: There is a strong social and emotional bond that people feel with her. And in general, when people become super fans or part of the fandom, it’s often because there’s something about the object of that fandom, the public figure or celebrity, that does connect back to their identity in some way. That’s often the link.

In the case of Taylor, there’s a couple of things going on. The first piece is relatability. Even though there’s aspects of her that maybe don’t feel very relatable — she’s a celebrity and lives a very different life from her fans — what she is singing about — the lyrical content as well as the emotions that underlie the lyrical content — are very relatable to a lot of people. There’s something that is very common to the human experience.

Another piece is a lot of Millennials, as well as Gen Z now, are fans of Taylor Swift. With the Millennials, a lot of people grew up alongside her. When they were having some of these first experiences, maybe with relationships or entering adulthood, she was doing that at the same time and singing about that. Her life story mapped onto their life story, in some way.

For Gen Z, during the pandemic, there was a lot of TikTok content about her, she was putting out many albums, so a new generation discovered her, and they’re also having similar experiences. Overall, she’s been really important for identity development and growth for a lot of people.

@taylorswift That’s my whole world 💕 #tstheerastour #swifttok ♬ So it goes x Miss Americana – 🪩

A third piece is aspirational. She is a role model. She is a great example of someone who sticks to their values and shows their fan base that they can reach their goals, whatever those might be. For instance, she’s claiming ownership of her work and has been successful in putting out re-recordings [of her older albums] and doing that despite barriers or obstacles that might be in the way. Seeing someone do something like that could be inspiring for a lot of young people.

And then, lastly, the fan community is a big part of this. People often form their identity around relationships not just with a celebrity, but also with other fans. The fan community that Taylor has around her, people meet their friends through it and people become part of something bigger than themselves. That is really important for them as they grow up and as they go through life.

Gazette: Swift has had to tell some fans to stop harassing people she once dated. Where’s the line between fan and fanatic?

GOLD: I think fandoms are, overall, very positive. That is an important message, that being a fan is a very positive thing. It’s important to be aware of when it’s interfering in other aspects of one’s life — not engaging in other areas that might be important, other relationships, whether time spent online is causing anxiety or stress or negative feelings for people. Trying to defend Taylor against other celebrities, for instance, that’s when it maybe goes into a category of “OK, let’s take a step back and think about what we can do to bring this back to a place where it feels more positive.” Recognize while this is a relationship that’s important to you, it’s not a friendship. And so, if someone starts to feel like there’s a two-way relationship when there’s no evidence that’s happening, that’s also something to be aware of.

‘The kinds of gains you see in an event like a Super Bowl’ Matthew Andrews , Edward S. Mason Senior Lecturer in International Development at Harvard Kennedy School

GAZETTE: You and some colleagues examined the effects on cities and regions hosting mega events. The total economic impact to host cities of Swift concerts on her current tour is expected to hit $5 billion. Does that sound plausible?

ANDREWS: Those numbers, I think, are completely accurate. I would be in agreement with those numbers because those are the kinds of gains you see in an event like a Super Bowl. The thing that is so amazing about the Taylor Swift concert, in particular, is that it goes from city to city, and you see the same kind of impact in city after city. You do see it with some other musicians, as well. But this is something that’s on a scale and a consistency that we haven’t really seen before.

Swift’s 131-date “Eras” world tour, currently packing stadiums across the U.S., is on track to be the highest-grossing concert tour of all time. Pictured is a June show at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.

Benjamin B. Braun/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP

Gazette: Which industries typically benefit when a major concert tour or sporting event takes place?

ANDREWS: The main beneficiaries in the private sector are people involved in tourism and the support network around the entertainment industry, so it is going to be hotels, restaurants, tourism agencies. It’s going to be anything to do with transportation hubs. They are going to be the primary beneficiaries.

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Why that song is stuck in your head

The costs to the public sector can be quite significant. And the cost for people in these areas who are not directly benefiting can be quite significant in terms of congestion, use of roads, just wear and tear, in terms of policing. This is a really important one — the cost of public order. Unless the government really thinks this through and charges for this as part of its permitting process, the government can end up on the short end after these kinds of events.

The other thing about these events that is increasingly attracting attention, from a public policy perspective, are climate change concerns. You have many, many people transporting themselves to a small area and a lot [are] coming through the air and through vehicles. This is something we worry about a lot more with prolonged mega events like a World Cup than with something like a Taylor Swift concert, but you do need to think about what those costs are.

‘Standing up for … rights and doing good business’ Ralph Jaccodine , assistant professor of music business/management, Berklee College of Music

GAZETTE: What are the factors that make Swift a successful performer from an industry perspective?

Jaccodine: First of all, if you’re going to talk about Taylor Swift, you’ve got to talk about the power of great songs. It all starts with the power of great songs. That’s why we’re still listening to The Beatles, and Bob Dylan, and Frank Sinatra. And like Bowie and Gaga and Dylan, she’s not afraid to stretch. She’s not afraid to bring her audience for a ride. We’ve seen her grow up in real life, from a young girl to a woman with power, and she’s owning it.

Number two, and this is really important: You’ve got to be great live. My students come to me and say, “We have 53 likes on this video, and we’re not selling tickets.” They don’t understand the power of going in front of people and blowing them away. In my business, as a manager, 80 percent of the income comes from live performances, so I want them to change lives live. I’m a massive Springsteen fan. I’m going to be seeing Springsteen at Gillette. I’ve seen him 12 times. I don’t need to see Bruce anymore. I’m an old guy, but I’m still going to rock concerts for artists to change my life. Taylor Swift’s songs, combined with how great she is live, is a powerful combination.

She’s always had a good team around her, smart people around her, good publicists, and good management. When you’re that good, you have the best in the industry. Her team is great: They build anticipation; they create a buzz about things. She’s imprinted her fans in such a way that they want everything about her. The day before a big stadium show, the T-shirt stand is open and there’s thousands of people in line. They hang on to every word of her social media posting, look at all the pictures. They share it; they talk about it; they have groups. That’s really hard to pull off.

GAZETTE: Has her advocacy for better artist compensation from streaming platforms and record labels and her fight to reclaim control of her back catalog made a difference?

Jaccodine: Absolutely. First, in the awareness of these topics. The general music fan isn’t aware of streaming revenues or master rights or re-recording rights. They don’t know or really care, but she shines a light on all these things. She shines a light on management contracts and what labels are or what labels aren’t. The whole master recordings topic has been spotlighted by Taylor. She had the budget and the resources and the talent to re-record things. The whole exercise was done in public; the whole exercise was reported on. So now, students are studying that, and they’re questioning that for the first time.

I do know she’s empowered and imprinted serious numbers of people that are fans of music or musicians themselves because of her influence. I look at Rihanna; I look at Beyoncé; I look at Taylor Swift. These are the biggest artists on the planet. They’re all women that are empowering girls and standing up for their rights and doing good business. I love it; I love it.

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The Linguistic Evolution of Taylor Swift

If Taylor Swift shifts her accent in her transition from country to pop, does she lose the personal authenticity important to country music?

Taylor Swift at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards

With the surprise midsummer release of Folklore , it seems that Taylor Swift has finally put out an indie record much cooler than her others , one that even a Pitchfork editor could love . The critically acclaimed, aptly named Folklore feels like a cozy, autumnal, cardigan-wearing kind of album, homing in on the telling and retelling of stories of heartbreak and longing through the lyricism of language at the heart of Swift’s songwriting.

It appears to be a tentative new step toward a more subdued, contemplative form of music, in the decade-long, genre-bending career of one of the most successful—yet also much criticized—artists of this era. Despite the awards and fan adoration, Taylor Swift is also an artist who has been beset with a mess of contradictory criticisms , at once derided for revealing too much about her personal life in her music, and at the same time dismissed as nothing more than a manufactured, blank space of an inauthentic pop star.

Until recently, in fact, even her supporters sometimes drew attention not to her creative skill in songwriting but to her work ethic or marketing savvy, as if to damn with faint praise. If the new sounds of Folklore are part of a struggle for musical legitimacy, the album’s success might shine a light on why it has taken so long for critics to take Swift seriously. Why is it that some of them can never accept that Taylor Swift might have something worthy to say?

Perhaps the answer lies in how the disparate threads of language, accent, and the public image of authenticity and identity all get tangled up in that particularly confessional genre that gave Taylor Swift her start at the tender age of fifteen: country music.

Although it seems obvious that musicians, like the rest of us, likely enjoy a variety of genres , it still comes as a surprise when they successfully cross over to a different kind of music. Switching styles, whether in music or the way you speak, can be viewed with suspicion, and stepping outside the norm can be stigmatized.

The accent on singing

Taylor Swift, by some accounts a music nerd herself, famously made the move from country to pop, and took many of country’s songwriting and stylistic traditions with her. This naturally has played a part in how she and her music have been received by a wider audience, but it hasn’t always been positive. She first established a strong public persona as a real, relatable girl with a growing and evolving sense of self who just happened to be a country star. But country’s complex relationship with the ideas of realness, authenticity, and identity through personal storytelling was perhaps hard to translate to modern pop, a seemingly artificial genre. What’s more, the lived experience that’s grist for Swift’s songwriting now includes success, wealth, and privilege. Though her personal storytelling can seem far removed from what many of us may experience, there’s clearly something at the heart of those stories that we can still relate to.

Linguistically, this contradiction is evident in Swift’s code switching from one musical genre to another. Code switching occurs when a speaker straddling different speech communities changes from standard or expected languages, dialects, or even accents in some contexts to more marked ones in the same language in other contexts. Since many regional or class-based accents can be stigmatized for such unknowable things as education level and intelligence (or even the potential to be a supervillain ), it might seem strange that people switch from standard to nonstandard ways of speaking, even unconsciously. But it’s exceptionally common, and most curiously so when it comes to music.

The reasons for doing this, and the choices of code switching that speakers make, are almost always socially motivated, according to linguist Carol Myers-Scotton. Code switching is “a creative act, part of the negotiation of a public face.” It’s a way to signal which cultural group you identify with—where you want to belong. It can also signal a disruption of what’s seen as acceptable and normal—which, for instance, is what some musical genres, like rock ‘n’ roll and hip-hop, are all about.

Many linguists, such as Peter Trudgill, have long noted how the accent of modern pop music is generally American , no matter where a music artist hails from. So Adele’s natural Cockney accent when speaking melts into fluid, American tones when singing, which is largely regarded by most people as unremarkable and normal. In “Prestige Dialect and the Pop Singer,” linguist S. J. Sackett notes that a kind of pseudo-southern American accent has become the standard “prestige” pop music accent, perhaps because of, rather than in spite of, its anti-establishment, working-class associations.

Meanwhile, indie rock groups like the Arctic Monkeys, singing in their own native Sheffield accents , might seem more marked. Yet choosing to sing against the musical tide, in a nonstandard accent, can signal independence and authenticity.

The genre of country music, in differentiating itself from pop, abounds in the stronger regional accents of the American South, not just from natives such as Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn but even a Canadian like Shania Twain or the Swedish Americana group First Aid Kit .

Swift follows in a long line of singing like you belong. The southern accent is clearly evident in her early singles, such as “ Our Song ,” written when she was fourteen , where you can hear marked phonetic features of Southern American English from the very first word. The diphthong in the pronoun “I” [aɪ], in “I was riding shotgun,” sounds more like the monophthong “ah” [a:]. There’s also the lack of rhotic “r” in words like “car” and “heart,” and grammatical variation such as the lack of verb agreement in “your mama don’t know.” In the penultimate line, “I grabbed a pen and an old napkin,” the famous southern “pin-pen” merger reveals itself, as “pen” and “napkin” are rhymed.

In Swift’s crossover single “22,” the genre is pure pop, but the southern accent is still a force to be reckoned with: The “e” of “twenty” sounds more like “twinny” and the “two” sounds more like “tew.” However, whether Swift code-switches because of the musical genre in which she’s singing, or because she may have only acquired her accent after moving to the South as a young teen , she largely loses the more marked linguistic elements in transitioning into a pop artist, with an appropriately general American accent.

In fact, Swift ironically refers to the oddity of the accent change in the bewildering lineup of her personas in the music video “Look What You Made Me Do.” Her upbeat country music persona exclaims only a brief “y’all!” “Oh, stop acting like you’re so nice, you are so fake,” answers yet another version of herself.

Fake it to make it?

Taylor Swift isn’t alone in being accused of faking an accent. American pop-punk bands like Green Day have been accused of faking British accents in imitation of the Sex Pistols, just as non-American groups (such as the French band Phoenix) put on their best-dressed American accents during performances. Code switching in genres is not uncommon and generally passes unnoticed, especially if listeners never get a chance to hear an artist’s normal speaking voice—unless that voice sings in a new genre where a different accent might be the norm.

An accent is seen as such an integral part of a speaker’s identity that when it changes, it can open up accusations of being fake and inauthentic, even though artists need to evolve and create in new ways. Although this might be a desirable trait in an actor, who conveys other people’s stories through their own body, for an artist who purports to tell their own lived experience through narrative songwriting, it can call into question their integrity or intentions in terms of the grubby necessities of making a living.

This is a complicating factor particularly when it comes to country music.

Aaron A. Fox opens up his essay on the discourse of country music by asking: “Is country music for real?” […] A unique, if elusive core of ‘authenticity’ tantalises country’s supporters and infuriates its critics”; yet to quote Simon Frith, “music can not be true or false, it can only refer to conventions of truth or falsity.” The only way we can talk about the time we spend in our lives is really through narrative, and these stories about our lives are constructed and shaped by our culture and language—never the absolute truth, but a continually evolving retelling of our past, present, and futures.

In lay terms, country music is obsessed with the idea of authenticity, perhaps more so than other genres, not only because of its musicality (the skill involved in playing acoustic instruments, for example) but also because of its storytelling: Artists are supposed to write and perform songs about their own life experiences. Country songs are ideally biographical, “the real lives of real people.” The kind of language they use is therefore crucial.

As Fox notes, the thematic concerns of country music, of loss and desire, of heartbreak and heartache, are intensely private experiences, but they are laid starkly bare and made public in song, ready to be consumed by the public. The language of these songs takes the plain, everyday, down-home ways of speaking that ordinary, often working-class people use, and intensifies them into an unnatural, poetic, metaphorical state, with a “dense, pervasive use of puns, clichés and word-play.”

Dolly Parton’s “Bargain Store,” for example, uses her own dialect both lyrically and in performance to recast her life of poverty and her broken heart, things that people often keep private.

My life is likened to a bargain store And I may have just what you’re lookin’ for If you don’t mind the fact that all the merchandise is used But with a little mending, it could be as good as new

Pamela Fox also considers how the autobiographical country song is different for women . Far from a masculine or chauvinistic perspective of a hard-drinking, hard-worn life of labor and lost loves, successful women in country such as Lynn, Parton, and Tammy Wynette have public identities positioned as overcoming an earlier life of hardship and poverty, particularly family origins in coal mining, sharecropping, or cotton picking. This source of authenticity is hard to fake or debate, compared to the assumed emptiness of a comfortable middle-class life.

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And yet, writes Fox, “one cannot remain country for long if one lacks roots (and slowly exchanges ordinary life for an unreal world of excess and continual displacement).” In a way, “success stories rank as distinctly gendered ‘failures’ of country authenticity: as working female celebrities, they forfeit not only their traditional pasts,” but the public respect that comes with the humble domestic or maternal world they sing about, thanks to their new lives of comfort and success. As Dolly Parton put it, “Although I look like a drag queen’s Christmas tree on the outside, I am at heart a simple country woman.”

In a way, Swift’s struggle with the perception of authenticity is just as real and problematic as the one faced by the women in country who came before her, though Swift came from upper-middle-class origins rather than poverty.

The worth of words

In “The Last Great American Dynasty,” Swift pens the story of someone she never knew: the eccentric, wealthy Rebekah Harkness of Rhode Island. As Swift inserts herself into the narrative’s end, it transpires that Harkness owned the house that Swift later bought.

“Fifty years is a long time/Holiday House sat quietly on that beach,” she adds. “Free of women with madness, their men and bad habits/And then it was bought by me.”

Swift’s personal experience is slightly less relatable because it reminds most of us that we can’t simply buy holiday houses on a beach in Rhode Island. And yet, the feelings of being outside of the norm, of not belonging and feeling out of place, of being criticized as mad, are certainly emotional states we all can understand.

In Swift’s evolving songwriting, about other people or herself, the events may be outside our experience, but they can be just as heartfelt through the deft use of language. And in this, we may come to understand just what Taylor Swift’s words are worth.

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Read Taylor Swift’s essay on her ninth album, ‘Evermore’: “I have no idea what comes next”

"I have no idea about a lot of things these days and so I've clung to the one thing that keeps me connected to you all... music"

Taylor Swift ‘s surprise ninth studio album ‘Evermore’ is out in the world, and she has taken to social media to share an essay about the album’s conception.

READ MORE: Taylor Swift – ‘Evermore’ review: the freewheeling younger sibling to ‘Folklore’

The essay included words she shared upon the album’s announcement yesterday (December 10). Swift wrote , “In the past I’ve always treated albums as one-off eras and moved onto planning the next one as soon as an album was released.

“There was something different with ‘Folklore’ ,” referring to her eighth studio album, which was surprise-released in July and marked as a sister album to ‘Evermore’.

Swift also went on to explain the meaning behind select ‘Evermore’ tracks, including one about her late grandmother, Marjorie.

READ MORE: Taylor Swift’s ‘Evermore’ is here – here’s how fans reacted

“Before I knew it there were 17 tales, some of which are mirrored or intersecting with one another,” she wrote. “The one about two young con artists who fall in love while hanging out at fancy resorts trying to score rich romantic beneficiaries. The one where longtime college sweethearts had very different plans for the same night, one to end it and one who brought a ring.”

The titular character of the eighth song ‘Dorothea’, Swift wrote, is “the girl who left her small town to chase down Hollywood dreams – and what happens when she comes back for the holidays and rediscovers an old flame.

“The ‘unhappily ever after’ anthology of marriages gone bad that includes infidelity, ambivalent toleration, and even murder. The most righteous motive, to avenge the fallen. The realization that maybe the only path to healing is to wish happiness on the one who took it away from you. One starring my grandmother, Marjorie, who still visits me sometimes… if only in my dreams.”

“To put it plainly, we just couldn’t stop writing songs. To try and put it more poetically, it feels like we were standing on the edge of the folklorian woods and had a choice: to turn and go back or to travel further into the forest of this music. We chose to wander deeper in and my collaborators and I are proud to announce that my9th studio album and folklore’s sister record is here. It’s called evermore.

I’ve never done this before. In the past I’ve always treated albums as one-off eras and moved onto planning the next one as soon as an album was released. There was something different with folklore. In making it, I felt less like I was departing and more like I was returning. I loved the escapism I found in these imaginary/not imaginary tales. I loved the ways you welcomed the dreamscapes and tragedies and epic tales of love lost and found. So I just kept writing them. And I loved creating these songs with Aaron Dessner, Jack Antonoff, W B, and Justin Vernon. We’ve also welcomed some new (and longtime) friends to our musical kitchen table this time around…

Before I knew it there were 17 tales, some of which are mirrored or intersecting with one another. The one about two young con artists who fall in love while hanging out at fancy resorts trying to score rich romantic beneficiaries. The one where longtime college sweethearts had very different plans for the same night, one to end it and one who brought a ring. Dorothea, the girl who left her small town to chase down Hollywood dreams – and what happens when she comes back for the holidays and rediscovers an old flame.

The ‘unhappily ever after’ anthology of marriages gone bad that includes infidelity, ambivalent toleration, and even murder. The most righteous motive, to avenge the fallen. The realization that maybe the only path to healing is to wish happiness on the one who took it away from you. One starring my grandmother, Marjorie, who still visits me sometimes…if only in my dreams.

I wanted to surprise you with this the week of my 31st birthday. You’ve all been so caring, supportive and thoughtful on my birthdays and so this time I wanted to give you something! I also know this holiday season will be a lonely one for most of us and if there are any of you out there who turn to music to cope with missing loved ones the way I do, this is for you.

I have no idea what will come next. I have no idea about a lot of things these days and so I’ve clung to the one thing that keeps me connected to you all. That thing always has and always will be music.

And may it continue, evermore.”

Alongside the album’s release, Swift also revealed the music video for its lead single, ‘Willow’ , which she directed herself.

NME ‘s Hannah Mylrea gave ‘Evermore’ five stars , writing “if ‘Folklore’ is an introspective, romantic older sister, ‘Evermore’ is the freewheeling younger sibling.

“‘Folklore’ was Swift’s masterful songwriting spun through a very specific sonic palette; ‘Evermore’ feels looser, with more experimentation, charm and musical shades at play.”

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Taylor Swift

If I Was The Man, Then I’d Be The Man: An Essay Inspired by Taylor Swift

An analytical-but-personal essay inspired by Taylor Swift’s song “The Man” and navigating a seemingly male-dominated music industry.

I n 2019, one of the most successful female artists of the century, Taylor Swift, released her seventh studio album Lover . However, it was only Swift’s first record she owned the full rights to. While it is true that Swift is not the only major artist to not own control of her entire catalog of masters — unless she rerecords each album , — she was notably receiving little-to-no support from her male musical peers.

It was only the other current female artists in the industry using their voices and standing up for her, Halsey and Lily Allen being just a few of the women rallying for Swift. Yet, when looking around at the discourse on the internet, predominantly on Twitter between white cisgender men, it’s these three chart-topping female artists (of many) that endure a slew of hatred online.

You might be asking, well, what do they all have in common? The answer lies in tracks with similar themes that present themselves, with descriptions of toxicity still present in all aspects of the music industry today. Whether it’s occurring or noticeable to your eyes, doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Allen’s “URL Badman” was released in 2014, yet still rings true. Allen, while she does namecheck Pitchfork, speaks about a concept that expands to the music journalism field as a whole.

As Guardian journalist Laura Snapes recently shared, “The music industry is so profoundly toxic and resistant to change, it feels unethical to participate in it at all sometimes.” When even independent record labels are engaging in a toxic Twitter discourse through now-deleted tweets, that’s when we should all be aware that something seriously needs to change.

Speaking of Halsey, “929,” from her new album, includes the line, “ They said, ‘Don’t meet your heroes. They’re all fucking weirdos.’ God knows that they were right ,” which could arguably apply to a slew of bands in the #MeToo era being exposed for misconduct — some alleged, some confirmed. Nevertheless, accusations should be taken seriously, as the saying goes, “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” It still fell, even if you weren’t listening or don’t believe that it did.

As for Swift, she has been the recent example and arguably, the bluntest, at portraying this disparity in the music industry on her latest Lover single “The Man.”

Swift writes from the perspective of how her life would be incredibly different if she were a man in music.

I would be complex I would be cool They’d say I played the field before I found someone to commit to And that would be okay For me to do Every conquest I had made Would make me more of a boss to you I’d be a fearless leader I’d be an alpha type When everyone believes ya What’s that like?

Watch: “the man” – taylor swift.

She faces these double standards head-on in her self-directed music video for “The Man,” donning prosthetics to become the man. Swift, as an embodiment of male privilege in the video, manspreads on the subway, surrounds themselves with models on a yacht, and is literally high-fived after leaving a one night stand. The man, in his eyes, can do no wrong.

After all, she’s experienced these double standards firsthand. If you analyzed charting male songs about relationships to the backlash they received about writing them, it would be near to non-existent. However, if Swift, a woman in her 20s at the time of songs like “Dear John” and “Back To December,” dates a typical amount of men and writes songs, it becomes punchlines for award shows on national television.

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, hosts of the 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards Show © Paul Drinkwater, AP

They’d say I hustled, put in the work, They wouldn’t shake their heads and question how much of this I deserve What I was wearing, if I was rude, Could all be separated from my good ideas and power moves

Now slowly approaching my twentieth birthday, I have spent years working in various aspects of this industry since I was fifteen. Yes, it is true that there are a few good dudes out there that are focused on bettering the collective industry as a whole, compared to just the individual self. Notably, Ross Martin from the defunct UQ Music , Ariel Bitran, and Atwood Magazine ’s own Mitch Mosk.

However, there are other male peers I’ve encountered along the way, that as I’ve become more self-aware, I’ve become disillusioned by their inability to use their platforms to create change of any magnitude, especially if they have a large influence on social media. No matter what area of the music industry you work in, there is always room to grow and call for change, notably white cis males standing up and supporting those who are different than themselves.

Just last month, 98 KCQ, a Michigan-based country radio station, tweeted, “ We cannot play two females back to back. Not even Lady Antebellum or Little Big Town against another female .” This brought a larger conversation about women in the country music industry to the forefront, with heavy-hitters like Kacey Musgraves and Kelsea Ballerini joining in. This is best described in a brilliant and well-written article by Chris Willman about the situation. With a toxicity towards women in this musical subsection that’s been present long before the Dixie Chicks, it’s no wonder Swift made the switch to pop radio in an attempt to gain the respect she deserves.

Even with country radio being a smaller part of a current and relevant conversation about a woman’s place in the music industry, the men I knew who worked and performed in this specific subsection never said a word about it — neither for or against. Nor did they say a word in November of last year, when Jennifer Nettles arrived at the Country Music Awards with a cape that read, “ Play our f—-in records, please and thank you .”

Instead, they used their social platform and place in the industry to heavily promote their own record (a collaborative duet between two men), and I found myself increasingly disappointed and losing respect in them.

Jennifer Nettles at the 2020 Country Music Awards

As Swift notes in her newly premiered Netflix documentary “Miss Americana,” she constantly was told regarding her place as, “A nice girl doesn’t force their opinions on people. A nice girl smiles and says thank you.” Yet, in an industry that as Swift describes as one that puts famous, yet successful, ladies in an “elephant graveyard by the time they’re 35,” when, in a career as a woman in music, do we cross the threshold of being “nice” and become someone worthy of respect?

I’ve urged other male writers I know to speak up about things that are happening, specifically the Reading and Leeds lineup debacle as one example. His response was one of, “Well, I support some women,” followed by a few paragraphs of mansplaining about money and indie publications, that I refused to open the can of worms into responding to before I could clearly articulate my thoughts.

If you are praising underground independent female artists, but tearing down chart-topping, mainstream ones, such as Swift, Halsey, and Allen from previous examples, in the same breath, that is not a pure and complete respect of women in the industry who went through consistent trials and tribulations to get to that success level. They tell us, “Respect your elders,” and in some exceptions, I do. Yet, at what point as a woman in music, do your elders start to respect you?

A few months ago, I attended a show for a New York-based band that I had been interested in working with and learning the business aspect of things. The members consisted of all men in their early twenties, older than myself, but not by much. Other attendees at the concert consisted of their manager and various attendees at the Bushwick venue that night. However, once their manager met a male music journalist from Kerrang! , he didn’t speak to me again.

The second red flag and reduction I felt from the group that helped me decide to officially cut ties, came from their lead singer, who texted me a few days after their show, inquiring if I could write a “pretty little article” for them. I suppose this is that article he wanted — not little, but hopefully he finds it pretty. As for the Kerrang! writer at this gig, I gave him my email when he asked. Needless to say, it’s been months of silence, so the disheartening feeling has subsided.

When it comes to the subsection of music journalism within the larger scheme of the industry, I am aware of the certain privileges I have operating the field as a white woman, however, it has still been a process filled with reductive experiences from men. While working as a booking intern at a New York concert venue, a drunk performer in a spin-off group, formed by a member of an iconic band, unaware of my internship status, inappropriately attempted to invite a clearly underage (X’s on each hand) girl to an “afterparty,” only to have his advances blatantly rejected.

If I was out flashing my dollars, I’d be a bitch, not a baller. They’d paint me out to be bad, So it’s okay that I’m mad

Swift’s lyricism within “the man” feels not only like a long time coming in terms of her personal experiences, but also a breath of fresh air..

It’s a spot-on description of how many women in this music industry — or any male-dominated industry, for that matter, feel. It’s a social commentary about double standards and working-hard-but-getting-nowhere, that makes it all the better option to become Lover ’s next single. It’s a song and a music video release that dig into something deeper than themselves. Not only does the song have an already universal relatability because of its themes, but as a single, “The Man” will hopefully, reach and inspire the young women in the next generation in the same way. It will also, hopefully, inspire at least some men in the music industry to make some serious changes within themselves. In the meantime, the rest of us ladies will keep on running as fast as we can…

Connect to Taylor Swift on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram

Discover new music on atwood magazine, roundtable discussion: a review of taylor swift’s ‘lover’, welcome to the new era of taylor swift, taylor swift’s “lover” is dramatic and dazzlingly romantic, “ the man “, a music video by taylor swift, an album by taylor swift.

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Country singer chely wright calls new york times op-ed speculating about taylor swift’s sexuality “upsetting”.

The "Single White Female" singer and activist who came out in 2010 and has discussed mental health struggles around her identity was mentioned in the controversial opinion piece published Thursday.

By Abbey White

Abbey White

Associate Editor & News Writer

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Country singer Chely Wright , who came out in 2010 as gay, has called a New York Times opinion piece that’s being criticized for speculating about Taylor Swift ‘s sexuality “triggering” and “awful.”

Wright, who first publicly discussed being gay in 2010 and shared her personal challenges around coming out as a Christian from rural Kansas in a Huffington Post blog , was mentioned in an op-ed the Times published Thursday titled, “Look What We Made Taylor Swift Do.”

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20 Taylor Swift songs with literary references you may have missed

Taylor Swift is renowned for her storytelling prowess and poetic sensibility.
Her lyrics reference famous novels by Daphne du Maurier, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kurt Vonnegut, and more.
BI's senior music reporter analyzed 20 of Swift's songs from a literary perspective.

Taylor Swift may be a pop star and businesswoman , but she's best known by fans as a lyricist.

"Everybody has their own sort of niche or specialty thing that they do that, you know, sets them apart from everybody else," Swift said in the 2020 Netflix documentary "Miss Americana." "And my storytelling is what is for me. I know that without me writing my own songs , I wouldn't be here."

This week, Swift is promoting the release of her 11th album, " The Tortured Poets Department, " with a library installation in Los Angeles.

For three days, The Grove will display a selection of Easter eggs and poetry excerpts, curated by Swift, teasing the direction of her new music — and underscoring her lifelong commitment to the written word.

Indeed, Swift has repeatedly referenced famous poets, novelists, and even biographers in her work. Below, Business Insider's senior music reporter analyzed 20 of Swift's songs from a literary perspective.

Note: This article was originally published in 2023.

"The Outside" contains a clear allusion to Robert Frost.

"The Outside" is one of the oldest songs in Swift's catalog. She wrote the track for her debut album when she was just 12 years old , inspired by her experience of being "a complete outcast at school."

"I tried to take the road less traveled by / But nothing seems to work the first few times," she sings in the pre-chorus.

Anyone with a cursory poetry education will recognize the reference to Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken," thanks to its popularity in elementary-school curricula. (I was personally introduced to Frost in fifth grade.)

The poem's conclusion is often read as a celebration of originality and self-determination, teasing the reward that may come with great risk: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— / I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference."

In 12-year-old terms, "the road less traveled by" represents the life of an "outcast," someone who marches to the beat of their own drum. Frost's final line makes it sound like a brave and noble choice.

This reference reappears much later in Swift's discography, in both "Illicit Affairs" ("Take the road less traveled by / Tell yourself you can always stop") and "'Tis the Damn Season" ("The road not taken looks real good now"). In the latter, Swift's character takes the road more frequently traveled and later comes to regret it.

"All Too Well" is thematically connected to Pablo Neruda's "Tonight I Can Write."

In the liner notes for "Red," Swift included a quote from the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda: "Love is so short, forgetting is so long."

The line is translated from "Puedo Escribir Los Versos," widely known as "Tonight I Can Write."

Neruda was just 19 years old when "Tonight I Can Write" was published in 1924. It was included in a collection titled "Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada," or, "Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair," which is now known as his most celebrated work.

Similarly, Swift wrote "Red" when she was between the ages of 20 and 22. The album is a collection of passionate ballads and breakup anthems, spanning the full emotional range that comes with an intense, ill-fated love affair.

The Neruda quote also opens the "All Too Well" short film , which shows Swift's proxy character falling madly in love, then spending years grappling with the aftermath.

Both "Tonight I Can Write" and "All Too Well" speak to the weaponization of memory , illustrating how sweet experiences with a loved one can become sharp and painful in retrospect — that even "the endless sky" (Neruda) or "the first fall of snow" (Swift) can feel sinister in their absence.

"Wonderland" is a "twisted" take on Lewis Caroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland."

As Swift recently told a crowd at the Eras Tour, her 2014 breakup song "Wonderland" was inspired by Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel. Swift uses "falling down the rabbit hole," which transports Alice to Wonderland, as an extended metaphor for falling in love — and losing her mind in the process.

"Haven't you heard what becomes of curious minds?" Swift sings in the pre-chorus, a reference to Alice's observation that "curiosity often leads to trouble."

Swift aligns herself with the book's band of outsiders with lyrics like "too in love to think straight" and "we both went mad." She also compares her ex-lover to the deceitful Cheshire Cat character ("Didn't you calm my fears with a Cheshire Cat smile?").

Swift revisited the concept of "falling down the rabbit hole" in her 2020 song "Long Story Short," doubling down on its negative implications ("And I fell from the pedestal / Right down the rabbit hole / Long story short, it was a bad time").

"New Romantics" kicks off with an explicit reference to "The Scarlet Letter."

In broad terms, "New Romantics" is a song about rising above the noise and standing by your choices, even if others malign them.

"There is a lesson in knowing that you can live your life in a way that you're proud of and people are still gonna take shots," she told Vanity Fair one year before the song's release.

In the first verse, Swift sings, "We show off our different scarlet letters / Trust me, mine is better."

Nathaniel Hawthorne's iconic novel "The Scarlet Letter" is set in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1600s. It tells the story of Hester Prynne, who dares to have a daughter out of wedlock. She is shunned by her community and forced to wear a red "A" (for "adultery") to symbolize her shame. Her male lover, however, shares no blame for most of the book.

From a modern perspective, the community's reaction is overblown and indefensible.

Swift's cheeky brag about her scarlet letter reflects this understanding; she draws a parallel between her own treatment by society and the misogynistic, puritanical mob mentality that Hester is subjected to.

By this time in Swift's career, her dating life had become a source of gossip, speculation, and oft-unsavory media coverage. Many tabloids branded her a "player" or "maneater," while in other corners of the internet, rumors about her relationship with Karlie Kloss had recently begun to pick up steam .

Swift's flippant response in "New Romantics" recalls "Blank Space," the second single from "1989," in which she pokes fun at her own headlines and satirically embraces her reputation ("Got a long list of ex-lovers / They'll tell you I'm insane").

She doubles down in the second verse of "New Romantics" ("The rumors are terrible and cruel / But honey, most of them are true").

Throughout the song, Swift expresses a distrust of society and enduring faith in her own ideals, echoing the main theme of "The Scarlet Letter," which ends with Hester's redemption and the death of her lead tormentor.

Bonus: Swift originally aligned herself with Hester in her 2008 single "Love Story" ("You were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter"), another song about fighting social convention in order to live and love authentically.

Of course, "Love Story" is also Swift's best-known literary reference: an optimistic retelling of William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet."

"...Ready For It?" name-drops Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, whose relationship was immortalized in "Furious Love."

In the opening track of "Reputation," Swift sings, "He can be my jailer, Burton to this Taylor / Every love I've known in comparison is a failure."

Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor's love story was chronicled in "Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century" by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger.

Swift confirmed she read the joint biography in a 2018 interview . The book can also be spotted in Swift's Instagram highlight titled "ladies & benji."

Interestingly, the tone of "Furious Love" doesn't seem to compliment Swift's lyrics, since Burton and Taylor's relationship would be considered a failure by most standards. They shared a torrid and obsessive connection, characterized by "delightful screaming matches," in Taylor's own words.

"I don't want to be that much in love ever again.… I gave everything away…my soul, my being, everything," Taylor told a friend after their second divorce, according to "Furious Love."

By including this reference, Swift may have been signaling a deeper, more sinister level to the "...Ready For It?" romance, lurking beneath her initial attraction.

Throughout their tumultuous relationship, Burton and Taylor made 11 movies together, including classics like "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1966) and "Antony and Cleopatra" (1972).

They also costarred in "The Taming of the Shrew," based on Shakespeare's play of the same name, which could be another point of reference for Swift's lyrics ("I'm so very tame now / Never be the same now").

Burton plays Petruchio and Taylor plays Katherina, aka Kate, the titular "shrew."

In both the original and the film adaptation, Taylor's character is headstrong and independent — until Burton's character "tames" her with psychological and physical torture, forcing her into the role of an obedient bride.

"Don't Blame Me" may contain a subtle nod to Daisy Buchanan.

In the second verse of "Don't Blame Me," Swift sings, "I once was poison ivy, but now I'm your daisy."

Sure, this could be intended as a simple comparison between a dangerous plant and an innocent flower. But Swift is a noted fan of "The Great Gatsby," F. Scott Fitzgerald's seminal novel; she name-drops the titular character later on this very same album.

Thus, the lyric in "Don't Blame Me" could be another name-drop.

Gatsby's love interest, Daisy Buchanan, is dubbed by the narrator as "the golden girl." Gatsby also describes Daisy's voice as "full of money." She is heavily associated with the colors gold and yellow throughout the book.

Swift also uses gold to represent love and beauty throughout the latter half of her discography, in songs like "End Game" ("It's like your eyes are liquor, it's like your body is gold"), "Dancing With Our Hands Tied" ("Deep blue but you painted me golden"), "Dress" ("Made your mark on me, a golden tattoo"), "Daylight" ("I once believed love would be burning red, but it's golden"), "Invisible String" ("One single thread of gold tied me to you"), and "Gold Rush" ("Everybody wants you / But I don't like a gold rush").

"Delicate" contains another subtle Fitzgerald parallel.

The fragility of love is a common theme in Swift's music, especially when it's placed in contrast to the harshness of reality (as in "Treacherous," "Out of the Woods," "I Know Places," and "The Archer," to name just a few).

"Delicate" is a particularly notable example. Swift sings about falling in love with someone new, all while wrestling with the knowledge that either of their hearts could break.

The song echoes a memorable passage from Fitzgerald's "This Side of Paradise," which Swift read (and liked) in 2013, long before starting work on "Reputation."

The novel follows a promising young college student named Amory Blaine and his three failed attempts to make a relationship last.

In the book's first section, titled "The Romantic Egotist," Amory overhears his mother talking about him: "'This son of mine,' he heard her tell a room full of awestruck, admiring women one day, 'is entirely sophisticated and quite charming — but delicate — we're all delicate; here , you know."

"So It Goes..." shares a striking similarity with "Slaughterhouse-Five."

"So It Goes..." shares its name with the most famous phrase from Kurt Vonnegut's celebrated novel "Slaughterhouse-Five."

The book's protagonist Billy Pilgrim is a World War II veteran, whose trauma breaks his ability to form a cohesive narrative. He constantly finds himself back in Germany, presumably due to PTSD-induced flashbacks; he refers to this as becoming "unstuck in time."

Vonnegut explores this theme through the Tralfamadorians, a race of aliens who do not see time as linear, but rather "as you might see a stretch of the Rocky Mountains."

To them, all moments in the past, present, and future are happening simultaneously.

After his abduction, Billy adopts the Tralfamadorian idiom "so it goes," which is used 106 times in the book — usually when someone has died.

The phrase evokes a feeling of inevitability and powerlessness, but it's not purely nihilistic. The Tralfamadorians don't recognize death as tragic and final, because in their understanding of time, that person is still alive in many other moments.

Throughout "Slaughterhouse-Five," Billy is characterized as very lonely. His family and friends don't understand the intensity of what he's been through, so his coping mechanisms are widely misunderstood.

Similarly, Swift described the "Reputation" era as "a very isolating experience," following an online cancellation campaign that spun wildly out of her control.

"I don't think there are that many people who can actually understand what it's like to have millions of people hate you very loudly," she told Vogue .

"So It Goes..." is ostensibly a love song, but it also has hints of fear and danger. Swift presents herself as trapped, powerless against a greater force: "Cut me into pieces / Gold cage, hostage to my feelings."

Perhaps Swift, like Billy, found comfort in the Tralfamadorian way, a kind of radical acceptance in the face of upheaval. The phrase "so it goes" is not about rebirth — it's about embracing every phase of a person's life in equal measure.

Notably, "So It Goes..." is placed on the tracklist immediately after "Look What You Made Me Do," a song that satirizes Swift's own demise ("The old Taylor can't come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, 'cause she's dead!").

"Getaway Car" opens with an allusion to "A Tale of Two Cities."

"A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens contains one of the most famous opening phrases in all of literature: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

In the first line of "Getaway Car," Swift swaps the last word for "crimes."

Swift uses the getaway-car metaphor to tell the story of a doomed relationship, which she used selfishly as a vehicle for escape.

The song gestures at infidelity, painting Swift as a liar ("I didn't mean it") and a criminal ("Put the money in a bag and I stole the keys / That was the last time you ever saw me").

However, it also plays with the idea of morality, painting Swift's actions as justified in the face of a much bleaker fate ("I wanted to leave him, I needed a reason").

This ambiguity speaks to the full version of Dickens' opening line, in which he presents a list of opposites and dueling ideas: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way."

Like Swift, Dickens suggests that everything exists as a push and pull; nothing is simply good or bad, black or white.

"This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things" explicitly references "The Great Gatsby."

"This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things" opens with a scene of opulence and hedonism: big parties, champagne seas, rattling chandeliers, no rules.

Swift sums up the scene with an explicit Fitzgerald reference: "Feeling so Gatsby for that whole year."

"The Great Gatsby" is set in New York City in the 1920s, commonly known as the Jazz Age. It was a time characterized by excess — of wealth, alcohol, and self-indulgence — that partially led to the stock-market crash of 1929.

In the book, Gatsby is a key player in the city's party scene, known for hosting blowouts at his mansion and allowing guests to act however they please.

However, he's also a man of deception. It's heavily implied that he made his fortune illegally, most likely by smuggling alcohol during prohibition. He doesn't drink; his extravagant parties are actually a scheme to seduce Daisy. His real name isn't even Gatsby.

So the Gatsby reference pairs nicely with the theme of Swift's song: deception. Swift goes on to describe how she was stabbed in the back, lulled into a false sense of security by the glittering artifice of celebrity and friendship.

"Cardigan" mentions Peter Pan.

Peter Pan, a character created by novelist and playwright J.M. Barrie, appears in the third chorus of Swift's single "Cardigan."

"I knew you / Tried to change the ending / Peter losing Wendy," she sings.

Barrie's original 1911 novel, "Peter and Wendy," follows a mischievous boy who can fly and never wants to become a man. He meets Wendy Darling, a young girl from London, and takes her back to Neverland for a series of wild adventures.

However, she eventually decides to return home.

In the final chapter , Peter returns for Wendy years later, but is horrified to find she grew up and had a daughter of her own. ("She was not a little girl heart-broken about him; she was a grown woman smiling at it all, but they were wet eyed smiles.")

Swift has said "Cardigan" is told from the perspective of a teenager named Betty . She yearns for her high-school sweetheart, James, who betrayed her by chasing after another girl.

The reference to "Peter losing Wendy" evokes Betty's loss of innocence and reflects her maturity ("I knew everything when I was young"), which stands in contrast to James' naivety.

"Mirrorball" recalls Sylvia Plath's acclaimed poem "Lady Lazarus."

In the bridge of "Mirrorball," Swift paints a picture of destruction and finality — but she continues to perform in the midst of it all.

"And they called off the circus, burned the disco down / When they sent home the horses and the rodeo clowns / I'm still on that tightrope / I'm still trying everything to get you laughing at me," she sings.

Swift's circus imagery recalls "Lady Lazarus," one of Sylvia Plath's most famous poems, published in 1965.

Plath evokes a similar sense of performativity, casting herself as a kind of circus performer who dies all the time, only to be resurrected in front of a "peanut-crunching crowd." She describes this skill as "the big strip tease."

"It's the theatrical / Comeback in broad day / To the same place, the same face, the same brute / Amused shout: / 'A miracle!' / That knocks me out," Plath writes.

The poem's tone is morbid yet empowering, much like "Mirrorball." Swift compares herself to a disco ball, only to reveal they "burned the disco down."

However, she rises from the ash over and over, just as Plath describes: "Dying / Is an art, like everything else. / I do it exceptionally well."

Bonus: This stanza from "Lady Lazarus" is also echoed in Swift's 2018 single "Look What You Made Me Do" ("Honey, I rose up from the dead / I do it all the time").

"Invisible String" could be tied to "Jane Eyre" or "The Sun Also Rises."

Many fans have noted a parallel between "Invisible String" and Charlotte Brontë's Victorian-era novel "Jane Eyre," when Mr. Rochester finally professes his love for the titular heroine.

"I sometimes have a queer feeling with regard to you — especially when you are near me, as now: it is as if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly and inextricably knotted to a similar string situated in the corresponding quarter of your little frame," Rochester says.

However, the chorus of "Invisible String" also resembles the closing dialogue of "The Sun Also Rises," Ernest Hemingway's wartime novel that draws a tragic line between wanting and having.

Throughout the story, the narrator Jake pines for his friend Brett, even though both characters understand they can't meet each other's needs.

In the last scene, Brett tells Jake wistfully, "We could have had such a damned good time together."

Jake replies: "Isn't it pretty to think so?"

Because Jake loves Brett but they can never be together, Jake means it's "pretty" because it's merely a fantasy. Brett's comment doesn't reflect the harsh reality of their situation.

Similarly, Swift sings, "Isn't it just so pretty to think / All along there was some / Invisible string tying you to me?"

She seems to suggest it's "pretty" to think fate brought her true love because the reality is less attractive — that she's been "scheming like a criminal" to get what she wants, as she admits in "Mastermind."

Swift's word choice could also suggest that she sensed the relationship was doomed from the start, even if it looked good from the outside.

This ambivalent interpretation is echoed in Swift's prologue to "Folklore," in which she describes the song's imagery as "a single thread that, for better or worse, ties you to your fate."

"Mad Woman" thematically resembles "Wide Sargasso Sea" by Jean Rhys, a prequel to "Jane Eyre."

The premise of "Mad Woman" can be easily connected to the famous proverb from "The Mourning Bride" by William Congreve: "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

However, Swift's use of the word "mad," an adjective that can mean both "angry" and "crazy," feels very intentional. Once again, it calls to mind "Jane Eyre." (Spoilers ahead!)

When Jane finally agrees to marry Mr. Rochester in Brontë's novel, it's revealed that he already has a wife named Bertha Antoinette Mason, who's been locked away in his attic.

"Bertha Mason is mad; and she came of a mad family — idiot and maniacs through three generations! Her mother, the Creole, was both a mad woman and a drunkard!" Rochester tells Jane. "Bertha, like a dutiful child, copied her parent in both points."

Rochester claims he imprisoned Bertha because she lost her mind, painting it as a genetic illness — passed down from her mother, specifically.

Jean Rhys gives Bertha a more sympathetic backstory in her 1966 novel "Wide Sargasso Sea." The prequel reimagines how Antoinette Cosway, a Creole heiress, became "Bertha" in her unhappy marriage to Rochester. In short, she was driven to madness by his patriarchal cruelty.

At one point in the novel, Antoinette scolds her new husband for believing lies about her family.

"I know what he told you. That my mother was mad and an infamous woman and that my little brother who died was born a cretin, an idiot, and that I am a mad girl too," she says.

She adds: "There is always another side, always."

Antoinette's old nurse Christophine also denounces these rumors, accusing Rochester of greed and betrayal: "You want her money but you don't want her. It is in your mind to pretend she is mad."

The themes of "Wide Sargasso Sea" are reflected in "Mad Woman," which fans believe was inspired by the sale of Swift's master recordings without her consent .

"Every time you call me crazy, I get more crazy, what about that? And when you say I seem angry, I get more angry," she sings. "And there's nothing like a mad woman / What a shame she went mad / No one likes a mad woman / You made her like that."

"The Lakes" pays tribute to William Wordsworth and the Romantic poets of the 18th century.

Swift references poetry throughout "The Lakes," specifically Romanticism, which was an 18th-century movement that valued emotional expression over logic and reason.

Romantic poets were empathetic rather than judgmental; instinctive rather than self-conscious. They believed in embracing "the bliss of solitude," writing as a way of understanding one's own mind, and cultivating the correlation between joy and imagination.

Indeed, one could argue that "Folklore" is a modern revival of Romanticism, and Swift herself seems to make that argument in "The Lakes."

"Is it romantic how all my elegies eulogize me?" Swift sings to open the song.

In the second verse, she adds: "I've come too far to watch some namedropping sleaze / Tell me what are my words worth."

In addition to praising the value of her own work, Swift draws a semantic connection to William Wordsworth, who is known as one of the founders of the Romantic movement .

In the preface to his collection "Lyrical Ballads," Wordsworth famously wrote, "Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility."

At age 29, Wordsworth relocated to the village of Grasmere in the county of Cumbria, located in the heart of England's Lake District . He was inspired by the natural landscape and wrote many of his best-known poems in the following years at Dove Cottage, which has now been enshrined as a museum .

During this time, Wordsworth's brother died in a shipwreck . The loss inspired him to write three elegies: "I only look'd for pain and grief," "Distressful gift! this Book receives," and "To the Daisy."

According to Professor Sir Jonathan Bate , an expert in English literature and Romanticism, Wordsworth was "the first poet to write elegies that eulogized himself."

Later in the song, Swift begs for "auroras and sad prose" while she frets and cries amidst the lakes and Windermere peaks.

Wordsworth made a similar reference in a 1791 letter : "Such an excursion would have served like an Aurora Borealis to gild your long Lapland night of melancholy."

He also uses the imagery of a "Lapland night" in a poem titled "To a Young Lady, Who had been Reproached for Taking Long Walks in the Country."

Wordsworth addresses a woman who can feel herself growing older, who is inspired by isolation to reflect on the "heart-stirring days" in her life.

Wordsworth's muse closely resembles Swift during the "Folklore" era. The pensive album, born during quarantine, was the first she released after turning 30 years old.

Swift had previously expressed her fear of aging as a female entertainer, describing the industry as an "elephant graveyard" full of older women: "As I'm reaching 30, I want to work really hard while society is still tolerating me being successful," she said in her Netflix documentary "Miss Americana."

However, Wordsworth's poem offers an alternative vision of aging as "serene and bright," painting his muse as "a light to young and old." (Additionally, Wordsworth himself penned most of his best poems after turning 30).

"Thy thoughts and feelings shall not die, / Nor leave thee, when grey hairs are nigh," he writes.

"Tolerate It" was partially inspired by "Rebecca."

"Rebecca," Daphne du Maurier's 1938 Gothic novel, follows a shy young woman who is never given a first name.

She marries a wealthy widower named Maxim de Winter after a brief courtship. Early on, she describes herself as "a little scrubby schoolboy" and her new husband as "kinder, and far more inaccessible."

The relationship Swift describes in "Tolerate It" mirrors this dynamic: "You're so much older and wiser and I / Wait by the door like I'm just a kid."

Maxim remains haunted by the death of his first wife, Rebecca, which makes him distant and unaffectionate towards the narrator.

"I was thinking, 'Wow, her husband just tolerates her. She's doing all these things and she's trying so hard and she's trying to impress him, and he's just tolerating her the whole time,'" Swift told Apple Music's Zane Lowe . "There was a part of me that was relating to that, because at some point in my life, I felt that way."

The final line of "Tolerate It" is submissive and ambiguous ("I sit and watch you"), leaving the listener to wonder if Swift's heroine will ever have the strength to speak up for herself.

However, "Rebecca" is recounted as a flashback, so the reader knows the narrator has survived her painful ordeal.

"Happiness" also seems to reference Gatsby, Daisy, and the infamous green light.

"Happiness" tells the story of a longtime relationship that turned sour. Swift said it's about "the realization that maybe the only path to healing is to wish happiness on the one who took it away from you."

The song is sprinkled with symbols of longing and regret that appear in "The Great Gatsby."

"Tell me, when did your winning smile / Begin to look like a smirk?" she sings in verse two.

Alone, this would not seem like a literary reference. But in context, this is reminiscent of how Nick, the book's narrator, describes his early impression of Gatsby.

"He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life," Nick explains. "It faced, or seemed to face, the whole external world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor."

This smile is the essence of Gatsby's charm. But his "irresistible prejudice in your favor" could be interpreted as manipulative, or at least performative.

Also in verse two, Swift sings pointedly, "I hope she'll be a beautiful fool / Who takes my spot next to you."

The term "beautiful fool" is taken from Gatsby's muse, Daisy, who's in a loveless marriage with an unfaithful man.

"I hope she'll be a fool," Daisy says of their young daughter. "That's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool."

Swift has said that "Evermore" contains an "'unhappily ever after' anthology of marriages gone bad," so her reference to Daisy's quote is very telling. It points to a distinctly feminine anger, a sense of helplessness — and ties "Happiness" to her songs about infidelity, like "No Body, No Crime" and "Illicit Affairs."

Finally, Swift makes Gatsby's influence clear by using the book's most famous symbol.

"After giving you the best I had / Tell me what to give after that / All you want from me now is the green light of forgiveness," she sings in the third verse.

In "The Great Gatsby," the green light at the end of Daisy's dock represents Gatsby's undying love (or obsession, depending on how you look at it). Nick refers to the light as an "enchanted object," because its only significance is what Gatsby pours into it.

Perhaps Swift is suggesting that the concept of "forgiveness" isn't as powerful as it seems, especially if you believe that it could magically absolve many years of pain.

"You know, people go on and on about, like, you have to forgive and forget to move past something. No, you don't," Swift previously said in 2019 . "You don't have to forgive and you don't have to forget to move on."

Many fans believe "Ivy" was inspired by Emily Dickinson and Sue Gilbert.

"Ivy," the 10th track on "Evermore," is written from the perspective of a married woman who is falling in love with someone else ("So tell me to run / Or dare to sit and watch what we'll become / And drink my husband's wine").

Swift's narrator says she's "grieving for the living," which could mean she's incapable of being with the person she loves in public. She serenades her illicit lover throughout the song ("My pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand"), but never provides a name or a gendered pronoun. So "Ivy" could tell the story of a sapphic affair .

Indeed, many fans have theorized that "Ivy" was inspired by Emily Dickinson. Scholars believe the poet was a lesbian and in love with her childhood best friend , Sue Gilbert, who ended up marrying Dickinson's brother.

The Apple TV+ series "Dickinson" celebrates the poet's queerness and focuses largely on her clandestine romance with Gilbert. At the end of a 2021 episode titled "Grief Is a Mouse," the women reunite for a passionate sex scene that leads into the credits, soundtracked by "Ivy."

Swift herself approved the song's usage in the show, according to showrunner Alena Smith .

"I really wanted to use that song — I mean I love that song and also the fans have sort of developed a mythology around it as being a song that relates to Emily and Sue on some emotional level," Smith told The Hollywood Reporter , adding, "We were lucky that Taylor said yes."

"Evermore" contains possible references to Dickinson and Brontë.

"Evermore" is, of course, the titular track of Swift's album "Evermore," which was announced on Dickinson's birthday (December 10).

One of Dickinson's most famous poems , known as "One Sister have I in our house," ends with the line, "Sue - forevermore!"

The poem shows Dickinson grappling with the loss of innocence, which is made more bearable by the love and support of her muse: "Today is far from Childhood / But up and down the hills / I held her hand the tighter / Which shortened all the miles."

Swift echoes this theme in "Evermore," in which she describes feeling lost and "unmoored." As in Dickinson's poem, her pain is eased by her muse: "And when I was shipwrecked / I thought of you / In the cracks of light / I dreamed of you / It was real enough / To get me through."

Additionally, as Bate noted in a piece for The Times , lyrics like "the cracks of light" and "floors of a cabin creaking under my step" seem to evoke Dickinson's work and "the claustrophobia of the 19th-century New England genius."

"Evermore" also contains another "Jane Eyre" parallel in the first verse: "Writing letters addressed to the fire."

After Rochester's marriage to Bertha is revealed, Jane flees. She sends letters back to his estate, only to return months later and discover it has burned down.

In "Evermore," this image seems to represent misunderstanding and regret, all the words Swift left unsaid — but for Jane, the fire is a cleansing force. In killing Bertha, it allows Jane to marry Rochester and gives her a second chance at love.

The title of "Dear Reader" evokes the most iconic line from "Jane Eyre."

The title of "Dear Reader" is another likely reference to "Jane Eyre," which features one of the most beloved lines in English literature: "Reader, I married him."

Like Brontë's protagonist, Swift breaks the fourth wall and addresses her audience directly throughout the song.

However, Swift flips the script with "Dear Reader," the final track on "Midnights (3am Edition)."

Even though Jane Eyre is considered by many readers to be a feminist figure, especially by 19th-century standards, she still follows the common path of women in literature . Much like her contemporaries Elizabeth Bennett and Jo March, all known as independent and headstrong characters, Jane's story still culminates in marriage.

Even today, female leads are expected to land a man by the end of the story.

However, Swift stands alone at the end of her latest album. Instead of treating a man as the prize, she keeps the spotlight trained on her own accomplishments, regrets, and lessons learned along the way.

While it's not exactly a triumphant conclusion ("No one sees when you lose when you're playing solitaire"), Swift creates a fascinating tension by evoking Brontë's famous line, only to undermine its implications.

Main content

How to write a poem: 11 prompts to get you into Taylor Swift's 'Tortured Poets Department'

Will Taylor Swift’s 11th studio album “The Tortured Poets Department” usher in a new era of poetry appreciation ?

Delaney Atkins, a part-time instructor at Austin Peay State University who teaches a class exploring Swift’s music's connection to Romanticism , hopes this album will help people realize the power of poetry as “one of the purest forms of human expression.”

“Poetry is not a scary thing,” she says. “If it’s something that (Swift) reads and leans into, I’m hopeful that other people will take it as an opportunity to do the same and not be afraid of feeling like they aren’t smart enough or it’s not accessible enough.”

How to write a poem

Ever heard the saying “the best writers are readers”? The first step to writing a poem is figuring out what you like about poetry.

Check out: USA TODAY's weekly Best-selling Booklist

Is it imagery? Format? Rhyme? Start by sampling a few poets. Maya Angelou, William Wordsworth, Frank O’Hara, Sylvia Plath and Amanda Gorman are among the greats. Look to your favorite songwriters and ask yourself, "What do I admire about their craft?" Atkins also recommends looking for a poem about a subject you're passionate about.

“I promise you, there’s a poem for everyone,” she says.

Next, decide what you want to write about. Simple as it sounds, this can often be the hardest step for writers. What do you want to say?

Finally, decide how you’re going to write it.

Atkins recommends starting with metaphors and similes , which Swift often employs. Some metaphors are more obvious, like in “Red,” when she sings “Losing him was blue, like I’d never known/Missing him was dark gray, all alone.” She uses a simile when she says “Loving him was like driving a new Maserati down a dead-end street.”

If you’re writing about a relationship, ask yourself what it felt like. “This relationship feels like … a burning bridge,” is Atkins's example. You can stick to a single line or make it an extended metaphor with an entire poem about that bridge.

Use imagery, or visually descriptive language, to help tell the story. Look around the room and describe the setting using lofty prose or personify the objects around you. Or create a character and tell their story – think of Swift’s love triangle in the “Betty,” “Cardigan” and “August” trilogy or “No Body, No Crime,” in which she slips into the skin of a vengeance-seeking best friend.

Do poems have to rhyme?

While many of Swift's songs rhyme, it’s not required in poetry.

“There are no rules and that’s a good thing, it’s a freeing thing,” Atkins says. “Take that and run with it – be as creative as possible.”

Review: Taylor Swift's 'Tortured Poets' is hauntingly brilliant

Taylor Swift has always been a member of 'The Tortured Poets Department'

In Atkins’ class, Swift's 10 previous albums are on the syllabus. Some connections to poetry are more overt, like Swift’s reference to English poet William Wordsworth in “The Lakes.”

But Atkins also teaches the motifs and literary devices that Swift uses throughout her discography, like the repetition of rain . In “Fearless” Swift alludes to naively running and dancing in the rain. Later in “Clean” from “1989,” rain is a baptismal metaphor for washing away the addiction of a past relationship. On “Peace,” off of “Folklore,” Swift sings about rain as a manifestation of her anxieties.

She uses the extended metaphor of death and dying in several songs. Atkins points to “dying in secret” in 2009’s “Cold As You” as representative of shame (“And I know you wouldn’t have told nobody if I died, died for you”). In 2020’s “peace” death is a symbol of unconditional love (“All these people think love’s for show/But I would die for you in secret”). She also repeatedly references her death throughout “My Tears Ricochet” – “And if I’m dead to you, why are you at the wake?”

Poem ideas inspired by Taylor Swift

Want to become a “Tortured Poet” yourself? Here are some prompts to kickstart your poetry era.

Use a five-dollar word: Who else could fit “clandestine” and “mercurial” in a song? Use an unexpected word from Swift's work, like “elegies,” “unmoored,” “calamitous,” “ingenue” or “gauche” as a jumping-off point.
Write a poem based on one of the “eras” : Tell a girl-next-door love story based on “Taylor Swift,” a bitter heartbreak for “Red” or the tale of your slandered character for “Reputation.”
Write about your “invisible strings”: The “invisible string theory” hypothesizes that there’s some larger force at work laying the groundwork to lead us to our destinies. In “invisible string,” Swift writes about the path that led her to a romantic partner. Write about your own.
Paint the image of a season: It's tempting to break out your flannels and drive to go leaf-peeping after listening to "All Too Well." In literature, fall often represents change. Pick a season and describe it using imagery – how does that season represent what your poem is about?
Use rain as a metaphor: Take inspiration from Swift's many uses of rain, which sometimes symbolizes losing yourself in a passionate moment but other times indicates a cleansing or sadness.
Take a spin on a classic: Swift invokes classic literature in “Love Story” when she sings “You were Romeo I was a scarlet letter.” How can you put a modern take on classic tropes ?
Retell history: This is precisely what Swift does in “The Last Great American Dynasty” when she tells the story of Rebekah Harkness , a socialite who lived in the Rhode Island house Swift bought in 2013. Who can you use as a muse?
Play with color: A whole essay could be written about Swift's use of the color “blue.” Try out a common color symbol (like blue for sadness, red for passion, green for envy) or flip it on its head entirely and have it represent a new emotion.
Use the year you were born: Swift's “1989” symbolizes her artistic rebirth . Title your poem the year you were born. How can you emerge as a poet reborn?
Random lyric generator: Still stumped? Use this random lyric generator and use that phrase as the theme or first line of your poem. Just make sure to credit Swift if you post it anywhere online.
Write about “The Tortured Poets Department”: What would it look like if it was a real place? Assume the role of Chairman of the Tortured Poets Department and craft your world of punished poets.

Tortured poets: Is Taylor Swift related to Emily Dickinson?

Just Curious for more? We've got you covered.

USA TODAY is exploring the questions you and others ask every day. From "How to get on BookTok" to "What does 'era' mean?" to "Where to buy cheap books?" – we're striving to find answers to the most common questions you ask every day. Head to our Just Curious section to see what else we can answer for you.

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Taylor Swift’s ‘Poets’ Arrives With a Promotional Blitz (and a Second LP)

The pop superstar’s latest album was preceded by a satellite radio channel, a word game, a return to TikTok and an actual library. For her fans, more is always welcome.

Share full article

The album cover for Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department,” which depicts the star lying on pillows in sleepwear, draping her arms over her body.

By Ben Sisario

Taylor Swift was already the most ubiquitous pop star in the galaxy, her presence dominating the music charts, the concert calendar, the Super Bowl, the Grammys.

Then it came time for her to promote a new album.

In the days leading up to the release of “The Tortured Poets Department” on Friday, Swift became all but inescapable, online and seemingly everywhere else. Her lyrics were the basis for an Apple Music word game . A Spotify-sponsored, Swift-branded “ library installation ,” in muted pink and gray, popped up in a shopping complex in Los Angeles. In Chicago, a QR code painted on a brick wall directed fans to another Easter egg on YouTube. Videos on Swift’s social media accounts, showing antique typewriters and globes with pins, were dissected for clues about her music. SiriusXM added a Swift radio station; of course it’s called Channel 13 (Taylor’s Version).

About the only thing Swift didn’t do was an interview with a journalist.

At this stage in Swift’s career, an album release is more than just a moment to sell music; it’s all but a given that “The Tortured Poets Department” will open with gigantic sales numbers, many of them for “ghost white,” “phantom clear” and other collector-ready vinyl variants . More than that, the album’s arrival is a test of the celebrity-industrial complex overall, with tech platforms and media outlets racing to capture whatever piece of the fan frenzy they can get.

Threads, the newish social media platform from Meta, primed Swifties for their idol’s arrival there, and offered fans who shared Swift’s first Threads post a custom badge. Swift stunned the music industry last week by breaking ranks with her record label, Universal, and returning her music to TikTok, which Universal and other industry groups have said pays far too little in royalties. Overnight, TikTok unveiled “The Ultimate Taylor Swift In-App Experience,” offering fans digital goodies like a “Tortured Poets-inspired animation” on their feed.

Before the album’s release on Friday, Swift revealed that a music video — for “Fortnight,” the first single, featuring Post Malone — would arrive on Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern time. At 2 a.m., she had another surprise: 15 more songs. “I’d written so much tortured poetry in the past 2 years and wanted to share it all with you,” she wrote in a social media post , bringing “The Anthology” edition of the album to 31 tracks.

“The Tortured Poets Department,” which Swift, 34, announced in a Grammy acceptance speech in February — she had the Instagram post ready to go — lands as Swift’s profile continues to rise to ever-higher levels of cultural saturation.

Her Eras Tour , begun last year, has been a global phenomenon, crashing Ticketmaster and lifting local economies ; by some estimates, it might bring in as much as $2 billion in ticket sales — by far a new record — before it ends later this year. Swift’s romance with the Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has been breathlessly tracked from its first flirtations last summer to their smooch on the Super Bowl field in February. The mere thought that Swift might endorse a presidential candidate this year sent conspiracy-minded politicos reeling .

“The Tortured Poets Department” — don’t even ask about the missing apostrophe — arrived accompanied by a poem written by Stevie Nicks that begins, “He was in love with her/Or at least she thought so.” That establishes what many fans correctly anticipated as the album’s theme of heartbreak and relationship rot, Swift’s signature topic. “I love you/It’s ruining my life,” she sings on “Fortnight.”

Fans were especially primed for the fifth track, “So Long, London,” given that (1) Swift has said she often sequences her most vulnerable and emotionally intense songs fifth on an LP, and (2) the title suggested it may be about Joe Alwyn, the English actor who was Swift’s boyfriend for about six years, reportedly until early 2023 . Indeed, “So Long” is an epic breakup tune, with lines like “You left me at the house by the heath” and “I’m pissed off you let me give you all that youth for free.” Tracks from the album leaked on Wednesday, and fans have also interpreted some songs as being about Matty Healy , the frontman of the band the 1975, whom Swift was briefly linked to last year.

The album’s title song starts with a classic Swift detail of a memento from a lost love: “You left your typewriter at my apartment/Straight from the tortured poets department.” It also name-drops Dylan Thomas, Patti Smith and, somewhat surprisingly given that company, Charlie Puth, the singer-songwriter who crooned the hook on Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again,” a No. 1 hit in 2015. (Swift has praised Wiz Khalifa and that song in the past.)

Other big moments include “Florida!!!,” featuring Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine, in which Swift declares — after seven big percussive bangs — that the state “is one hell of a drug.” Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, the producers and songwriters who have been Swift’s primary collaborators in recent years, both worked on “Tortured Poets,” bringing their signature mix of moody, pulsating electronic tracks and delicate acoustic moments, like a bare piano on “Loml” (as in “love of my life”).

As the ninth LP Swift has released in five years, “Tortured Poets” is the latest entry in a remarkable creative streak. That includes five new studio albums and four rerecordings of her old music — each of which sailed to No. 1. When Swift played SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles in August, she spoke from the stage about her recording spurt, saying that the forced break from touring during the Covid-19 pandemic had spurred her to connect with fans by releasing more music.

“And so I decided, in order to keep that connection going,” she said , “if I couldn’t play live shows with you, I was going to make and release as many albums as humanly possible.”

That was two albums ago.

Ben Sisario covers the music industry. He has been writing for The Times since 1998. More about Ben Sisario

Inside the World of Taylor Swift

A Triumph at the Grammys: Taylor Swift made history by winning her fourth album of the year at the 2024 edition of the awards, an event that saw women take many of the top awards .

‘The T ortured Poets Department’: Poets reacted to Swift’s new album name , weighing in on the pertinent question: What do the tortured poets think ?

In the Public Eye: The budding romance between Swift and the football player Travis Kelce created a monocultural vortex that reached its apex at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. Ahead of kickoff, we revisited some key moments in their relationship .

Politics (Taylor’s Version): After months of anticipation, Swift made her first foray into the 2024 election for Super Tuesday with a bipartisan message on Instagram . The singer, who some believe has enough influence to affect the result of the election , has yet to endorse a presidential candidate.

Conspiracy Theories: In recent months, conspiracy theories about Swift and her relationship with Kelce have proliferated , largely driven by supporters of former President Donald Trump . The pop star's fans are shaking them off .

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Role Models — Taylor Swift is my Role Model

Taylor Swift is My Role Model

Categories: Role Models Taylor Swift

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Updated: 8 December, 2023

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Taylor Swift in the tortured poet’s workshop

Yes, you can be a swiftie while knowing next to nothing about her life, loves or grudges, by erin keane.

If you were one of the millions who waited up until midnight to listen to Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” album on repeat — and then reeled with the release of the expanded "Anthology" version — I know you didn't drag yourself into the office today to rehash my old seminar notes. You're tired, babe. Go pound a cold brew and we'll talk later. This story is for those who have avoided diving in deep because they are daunted by the MCU levels of lore embedded in the lyrics of, as NPR critic Ann Powers dubs her , "pop's leading writer of autofiction" (complimentary). If, in the hours leading up to release night, you felt your stomach sink when you heard "Tortured Poets" might be about a whole other ex than the one whose failings and betrayals you already didn't know a whole lot about to begin with? Let me re-introduce you to my old friend, the Speaker.

If you’ve been in a poetry class or workshop in the last — 50, I don’t know, 80, years? — you’ve encountered the Speaker: She’s the star of every poem, the character or persona to whom we attribute the words instead of the person whose name is above the title. (Because New Criticism, because intentional fallacy, because the weirdness of discussing the diction, rhythm and enjambment of your classmates’ sex lives aloud, in front of them, by name .) It's not the only way to read or critique a poem, of course, but it remains popular for many reasons.

In persona poems, the Speaker can be named or strongly implied to be an actual character, fictional or historical — you probably read Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess" in school, you know this move. But even in poems presumed confessional, the Speaker can be a handy little imaginary friend to project the goings-on in the poem upon: Jackson in your workshop didn’t steal a bottle of nail polish from the bathroom of his one-night stand and then write a poem about it — "the Speaker” did. And just like that, it's easier to examine the color the Speaker palmed in the morgue-like glow of the medicine cabinet light and suggest that Orchid You Not might be the more appropriate choice for that Speaker's circumstances than Don't Take Me for Garnet without first sneaking a peek at Jackson's fingers.

Once the Speaker is involved, the individual truth in a poem — or a Taylor Swift song — can take precedence over the facts of its inspiration. It gives us all a little breathing room between biography and the work of art crafted from it, depending on how honest the poet feels like getting during the post-reading wine-and-cheese meet-and-greet. (Some poets are adamant that they are always the speaker of their own poems, and good for them! Some of us enjoy a little plausible deniability upon the page.)

Every lyric is recapped as a presumed confession, combed for autobiographical Easter eggs and compared, true crime Reddit-style, to the forensic files of her life and loves.

Taylor Swift, chair of the Tortured Poets Department as of midnight, enjoys no such cover, though her storytelling, not only within individual songs and albums but across her body of work, is sophisticated enough to demand it. Instead, every lyric is recapped as a presumed confession, combed for autobiographical Easter eggs and compared, true crime Reddit-style, to the forensic files of her life and loves, from the soft public launches of new boyfriends to the breathless breakup speculations, not to mention the compelling drama of her highly atypical working life. I do not wish to get in the middle of all of that (though I love the industry parts). I understand she crafts intricate storylines for her highly engaged audience that deliberately involve elements of autobiography. The interactivity is the point. I'm not suggesting anyone discount that. But for those who find the inside-baseball discourse around her body of work daunting because there’s a learning curve that goes back to John Mayer and well, no thank you , this is a handy way to dig into Taylor Swift’s songs beyond their surface while not tracking the details of her personal life at all.

I listen with the assumption that Taylor Swift is singing as a persona — created and animated by her, of course, but a made thing, a fictional apparatus that exists apart from her to dramatize what she wants to say with her work. I think about what the Speaker in a song is saying, doing, revealing; I ponder the choices Swift has made for the Speaker. I can even presume there may be a different speaker created for every album — or even for each song. It helps that I'm not tempted to look up a famous ex-lover I truly could not pick out of a police lineup to see if he really gives "tattooed golden retriever ." It's enough for me to appreciate a killer ironic image revealing some truth of how the Speaker experiences that particular intimate moment. I recommend this approach if you're burned out by the extended franchise storytelling dominating so much of pop culture today and think Swift's albums are more of the same. You'll be pleasantly surprised, trust me. And you definitely don't have to start at the beginning, listen in order and do all the supplemental reading unless you want to.

I recommend this approach if you're burned out by the extended franchise storytelling dominating so much of pop culture today and think Swift's albums are more of the same.

Let me be clear about where the New Critic in me stops: I'm on record against the demand to always separate the art from the artist. Historically, that slogan has been used to let talented men off easy for their personal misdeeds while attributing women's artistic achievements to everyone involved but them. Like any artist, Swift's discography has personal context, and listening to her work can be a deeper, richer experience when you know something about the shape of her life. I love a good rock memoir, and in many ways, Swift has been releasing hers over years, one coded message at a time .

So does it make sense for the Speaker in "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart" to clearly be a star performer like her creator, to be in sequins under lights with "all the pieces of me shattered as the crowd was chanting 'more'"? Sure. But a Speaker gives me the distance from Taylor Swift, billionaire mogul, to hear "I cry a lot but I'm so productive" — devastatingly juxtaposed against that upbeat tempo — and feel a specific and universal kinship to the voice of this woman, just another one of us grinding away in the office, taking care of business with a smile while our lives crumble quietly out of sight. When that Speaker sighs and spits, "try and come for my job," she sounds vulnerable to incursion. Taylor Swift herself isn't, not anymore. Even if the fascination with her as a celebrity and avatar eventually subsides from this peak, her body of artistic work will continue to speak for itself. That doesn't mean she can't continue to write convincingly for those of us who are.

about Taylor Swift

Because of Taylor Swift, I'm watching football again
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Taylor Swift gets it: Cats are better than (some) men

Erin Keane is Salon's Chief Content Officer. She is also on faculty at the Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing at Spalding University and her memoir in essays, " Runaway: Notes on the Myths That Made Me ," was named one of NPR's Books We Loved In 2022.

English B Extended Essay Topic Ideas

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Writing Metier

Struggling to pick a topic for your English B Extended Essay? Fear not, because we’ve got a treasure trove of ideas that’ll spark your creativity and curiosity. Yes, my team at Writing Metier have been in this industry for quite a while now, and I’ll share this awesome list of more than 50 various topic options with you.

From the influence of culture in literature to the evolving dynamics of language in our digital age, we’re covering a spectrum of topics that are not just about writing an extended essay , but about exploring the fascinating world of language and its impact on our lives.

Get ready to find a topic that not only intrigues you but also challenges you to think and write outside the box!

Extended Essay Topics for English B

Ready to explore how literature isn’t just words on a page, but a reflection of our world?

Cultural Influence in Literature

In Cultural Influence in Literature, we’re connecting historical events, cultural identities, and the effects of globalization with the stories and poems we love. It’s like watching history and culture come alive through words.

Influence of Historical Events on Literature

Topic: The Influence of World War II on British Post-War Literature
Research Question: How did World War II shape the themes and characterizations in British post-war literature?
Topic: The Reflection of the Civil Rights Movement in American Literature
Research Question: How did the Civil Rights Movement influence the portrayal of racial themes in American literature of the 1960s?

Representation of Cultural Identity in Modern Novels

Topic: Cultural Identity in the Novels of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Research Question: How does Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie portray Nigerian cultural identity in her novels?
Topic: Exploring Indigenous Cultural Identity in Tommy Orange’s “There There”
Research Question: How does Tommy Orange represent the complexities of Indigenous cultural identity in “There There”?

Impact of Globalization on Contemporary Poetry

Topic: The Influence of Globalization on the Themes of Contemporary African Poetry
Research Question: How has globalization influenced the thematic development of contemporary African poetry?
Topic: Cross-Cultural Influences in the Contemporary Poetry of the Asian Diaspora
Research Question: How do poets of the Asian diaspora incorporate cross-cultural influences in their work in the context of globalization?

Switching gears, let’s talk about Language and Communication. Here, we’re unraveling the magic of how we express ourselves.

Language and Communication

From the evolution of texting to the nuances of cross-cultural chats and the persuasive power of a well-crafted speech , language is our bridge to understanding each other in this hyper-connected world.

The Evolution of Language in Digital Communication

Topic: The Impact of Social Media on the Evolution of English Slang
Research Question: How has social media contributed to the evolution and spread of English slang?
Topic: Emoji as a Language: The Changing Face of Digital Communication
Research Question: How have emojis influenced the way language is used and interpreted in digital communication?

The Role of Language in Cross-Cultural Understanding

Topic: The Role of English as a Lingua Franca in International Business
Research Question: How does the use of English as a lingua franca facilitate or hinder cross-cultural understanding in international business?
Topic: Language Barriers in Healthcare: A Study of Patient-Provider Communication
Research Question: How do language barriers affect communication and understanding between healthcare providers and patients from different cultural backgrounds?

Language as a Tool for Persuasion in Political Speeches

Topic: Rhetorical Strategies in Barack Obama’s Presidential Speeches
Research Question: What rhetorical strategies does Barack Obama employ in his presidential speeches to persuade and connect with his audience?
Topic: The Use of Language for Persuasion in Environmental Activism Speeches
Research Question: How is language used as a tool for persuasion in speeches by prominent environmental activists?

Each of these topics offers a unique opportunity to explore the intersection of culture, language, and literature, providing a rich basis for an Extended Essay in English B.

Now, let’s step into the intriguing world of Comparative Literary Analysis .

Comparative Literary Analysis

Imagine having a conversation between a 19th-century novelist and a contemporary writer, or seeing how poets from different eras play with the same theme. It’s like being a literary matchmaker, finding connections across time and style.

Thematic Comparisons between Classic and Modern Novels

Topic: Exploring the Theme of Love in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” and John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars”
Research Question: How is the theme of love portrayed differently in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” compared to John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars”?
Topic: The Evolution of the Hero’s Journey in Classical Greek Literature and Modern Superhero Novels
Research Question: How does the concept of the hero’s journey in classical Greek literature compare to its portrayal in modern superhero novels?

Comparative Analysis of Literary Techniques in Poetry

Topic: A Comparative Analysis of Imagery in the Poetry of William Wordsworth and Sylvia Plath
Research Question: How do William Wordsworth and Sylvia Plath uniquely employ imagery in their poetry, and what effects do these techniques have?
Topic: The Use of Metaphor in the Works of Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou
Research Question: How do Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou use metaphor in their poetry, and what are the implications for understanding their respective themes?

Character Development in Dystopian vs. Utopian Literature

Topic: Character Evolution in George Orwell’s “1984” and Thomas More’s “Utopia”
Research Question: How is character development employed differently in the dystopian world of George Orwell’s “1984” compared to the utopian society in Thomas More’s “Utopia”?
Topic: The Role of Protagonists in Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” and Lois Lowry’s “The Giver”
Research Question: How do the protagonists in Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” and Lois Lowry’s “The Giver” reflect and challenge the norms of their respective societies?

Next, we’re diving into Media and Society. This is where stories jump off the page and onto our screens.

Media and Society

We’re looking at how social media is reshaping our language, how movies and TV shows mirror our diverse societies, and the powerful role journalism plays in our perception of the world. It’s storytelling with a pulse on society’s heartbeat.

The Influence of Social Media on Language and Communication

Topic: The Impact of Twitter on the Brevity and Informality of Language
Research Question: How has Twitter influenced changes in language use towards greater brevity and informality?
Topic: The Role of Memes in Shaping Modern Internet Slang
Research Question: How have internet memes contributed to the development and spread of modern internet slang?

Representation of Gender and Diversity in Film and Television

Topic: Gender Stereotypes in Contemporary Romantic Comedies
Research Question: How do contemporary romantic comedies perpetuate or challenge traditional gender stereotypes?
Topic: The Portrayal of Racial Diversity in Recent Superhero Movies
Research Question: How has the portrayal of racial diversity in recent superhero movies evolved, and what impact does it have on audience perception?

The Role of Journalism in Shaping Public Opinion

Topic: The Influence of Investigative Journalism on Public Awareness of Environmental Issues
Research Question: How has investigative journalism influenced public awareness and opinion on major environmental issues?
Topic: The Impact of 24-Hour News Cycles on Political Discourse
Research Question: How have 24-hour news cycles affected the nature of political discourse and public opinion?

Let’s take a turn into Literature and Psychology . Before I proceed further, I would like to share with you our psychology essay writing service , which has proved its quality through the lats several years. If you ever need assistance with your psychology-related assignments, they are one of the best on the market.

Literature and Psychology

Here, we’re peeking into the minds of characters and exploring the emotional depths of narratives. How do novels explore mental health? What makes a character in a drama so relatable? It’s like being a literary psychologist, decoding the human experience through stories.

Psychological Analysis of Characters in Literature

Topic: The Psychological Complexity of Hamlet in Shakespeare’s Play
Research Question: How does Shakespeare’s portrayal of Hamlet reflect psychological theories of human behavior and motivation?
Topic: The Representation of Narcissism in Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
Research Question: How does “The Picture of Dorian Gray” depict the psychological aspects and consequences of narcissism?

Exploration of Mental Health Themes in Contemporary Novels

Topic: Mental Health Representation in Sylvia Plath’s “The Bell Jar”
Research Question: How does “The Bell Jar” portray the realities of mental health issues, particularly in the context of the 1950s?
Topic: The Depiction of Depression in J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye”
Research Question: How does “The Catcher in the Rye” explore the theme of depression and its impact on adolescent identity?

The Use of Psychological Realism in Modern Drama

Topic: Psychological Realism in Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman”
Research Question: How does “Death of a Salesman” employ psychological realism to explore the human condition?
Topic: The Portrayal of Family Dynamics and Psychological Conflict in Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire”
Research Question: How does “A Streetcar Named Desire” use psychological realism to depict family dynamics and conflict?

And now, let’s explore the Adaptation of Literature.

Adaptation of Literature

Ever wonder what happens when a beloved book gets a movie makeover or how ancient myths are reborn in today’s novels? We’re about to see how stories evolve when they travel across mediums and cultures, transforming with each retelling.

Analysis of Film Adaptations of Classic Novels

Topic: The Adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” in Modern Cinema
Research Question: How do modern film adaptations of “Pride and Prejudice” interpret and portray the novel’s themes and characters?
Topic: Cinematic Interpretations of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”
Research Question: How have different film adaptations of “Frankenstein” varied in their portrayal of the novel’s core themes?

The Transformation of Myths and Legends in Modern Literature

Topic: The Modern Reinterpretation of Greek Myths in Contemporary Literature
Research Question: How does contemporary literature reinterpret Greek myths, and what new perspectives do these adaptations offer?
Topic: The Influence of Norse Mythology in Modern Fantasy Novels
Research Question: How have modern fantasy novels incorporated and transformed Norse mythology?

The Impact of Cultural Context on Literary Adaptations

Topic: Cultural Adaptation of Shakespeare’s Plays in Non-Western Contexts
Research Question: How are Shakespeare’s plays adapted and interpreted in non-Western cultures, and what cultural elements are emphasized?
Topic: The Adaptation of “One Thousand and One Nights” in Western Literature
Research Question: How have Western adaptations of “One Thousand and One Nights” been influenced by their cultural context?

Finally, we arrive at Language in Education. Also, make sure to check our other related articles; if you are interested in Film extended essay topics , you will get more than 30 options related to film studies.

Language in Education

This is where the building blocks of language learning come together. We’re talking about the power of bilingual education, the strategies that make learning English B engaging, and the role literature plays in shaping language skills . It’s where language learning meets real-world application.

The Effectiveness of Bilingual Education Systems

Topic: The Impact of Bilingual Education on Academic Achievement
Research Question: How does participation in bilingual education programs affect students’ academic achievement and language proficiency?
Topic: Bilingual Education and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood
Research Question: What is the impact of bilingual education on cognitive development in early childhood?

Language Acquisition and Learning Strategies in English B

Topic: The Role of Immersion in Second Language Acquisition
Research Question: How effective is immersion as a strategy for language acquisition in English B learners?
Topic: The Use of Technology in Enhancing English Language Learning
Research Question: How does the integration of technology in the classroom enhance the language learning experience for English B students?

The Role of Literature in Language Learning and Development

Topic: The Impact of Literary Texts on Vocabulary Development in English B Learners
Research Question: How do literary texts contribute to vocabulary development in students learning English B?
Topic: Incorporating Multicultural Literature in English B Curriculum
Research Question: What are the benefits of incorporating multicultural literature in the English B curriculum for fostering cultural awareness and language skills?

There you have it – a sneak peek into the diverse and dynamic world of English B. At Writing Metier, we’re excited to help you explore these avenues in your Extended Essay, bringing fresh insights and perspectives to your writing.

For those of you who were searching for some modern, fresh topics and research questions – here is the next block.

10 Modern Topics for 2024

Here are 10 unique and modern research questions for an English B Extended Essay, each designed to explore contemporary and relevant topics:

How does the portrayal of artificial intelligence in contemporary science fiction literature reflect societal attitudes towards technology and ethics?
In what ways do modern graphic novels challenge traditional narrative structures and themes found in conventional literature?
How does the use of code-switching in bilingual literature influence readers’ understanding of cultural identity and language dynamics?
What role does dystopian young adult literature play in shaping adolescents’ perspectives on political and social issues?
How do contemporary travel blogs and vlogs influence linguistic and cultural perceptions among English B learners?
In what ways do modern podcast narratives utilize language to create immersive storytelling experiences?
How do contemporary song lyrics reflect the linguistic evolution of English in the context of global cultural exchange?
What impact does the increasing use of internet slang and abbreviations in digital communication have on formal language skills among English B students?
How do modern adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays in film and theater incorporate contemporary language and themes, and what effect does this have on audience engagement?
In what ways do autobiographies of refugees and immigrants contribute to the understanding of cross-cultural experiences and language adaptation among English B learners?

Let’s turn those ideas into an essay that speaks volumes!

Select your IB EE topic wisely!

There you have it – a collection of English B Extended Essay topics to get your gears turning! Picking your topic is just the first step on this exciting path.

If you’re feeling a bit stuck or just want a helping hand along the way, remember Writing Metier is right here to back you up. Whether it’s brainstorming ideas, organizing your thoughts, or polishing your final extended essay draft , we’re here to guide you through.

We’re committed to helping you create an essay that’s not only impressive in meeting IB standards but also brilliantly reflects your own voice and insights.

Need a partner in your essay-writing adventure? Give us a shout, and let’s make your Extended Essay shine!

Free topic suggestions

Vasy kafidoff.

Vasyl Kafidoff is a co-founder and CEO at WritingMetier. He is interested in education and how modern technology makes it more accessible. He wants to bring awareness about new learning possibilities as an educational specialist. When Vasy is not working, he’s found behind a drum kit.

Business Management Extended Essay Topic Ideas and RQs

Looking for the perfect topic for your IB Business Management Extended Essay? Dive into our comprehensive guide, covering everything from organizational leadership to the latest trends in 2023. And if you need a bit of extra help, Writing Metier is just a click away to assist with topic suggestions, writing, and editing.

Economics Extended Essay Topic Ideas for IB Students

This article serves as a launchpad for students crafting their Economics Extended Essays, offering a diverse array of topics that span from the intricacies of microeconomic market structures to the broad strokes of macroeconomic policy. It provides a rich tapestry of ideas, inviting exploration into the complex interplay between economic theory and real-world application across various branches such as labor, environmental, and health economics.

Global Politics Extended Essay Topics and Research Questions

Dive into the dynamic world of Global Politics with our curated list of Extended Essay topics for 2023. From the digital revolution in democracy to the environmental challenges reshaping our planet, these topics offer a gateway to understanding and analyzing the pressing issues of our time.

Acing IB English Language & Literature Paper 1 | A Comprehensive Guide

Learn how to ace your IB English Language and Literature Paper 1 with this comprehensive guide. Discover effective tips and strategies for analyzing texts, developing a thesis, structuring your essay, and writing a compelling introduction and conclusion. Improve your writing skills and boost your chances of success with this essential resource for IB English students.

How long is the IB Extended Essay? 🤔

The IB extended essay is designed to ensure that students learn critical learning skills and can organize their thoughts correctly. The idea is to help students build their skills and empower them to solve more complex real-life problems. However, most students tend to wonder how long the extended essay should be.

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IB EE examples for all subjects

Filter exemplars, how do different concentrations of punica granatum extracts: peel, flower and leaves (10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 mg/ml) affect the rate of reaction of α-amylase and compare with metformin (anti-diabetic drug) as measured by a spectrophotometer at 587nm, to what extent does global self-esteem influence academic performance, want to get full marks for your ee allow us to review it for you 🎯, how has apple used sustainable innovation to gain a competitive edge, to what extent were the nuremberg trials defendants afforded a fair due process, to what extent has google's diversification into the wearables industry increased its profitability, fast track your coursework with mark schemes moderated by ib examiners. upgrade now 🚀, how have amazon's market strategies contributed in successfully growing its e-commerce business internationally, fluid’s density effect on falling objects, to what extent does vivienne westwood's sustainable fashion initiatives provide it with a competitive advantage over other luxury brands, what is the relationship between the height of the siphon and the flow velocity out of the siphon, to what extent does the type of alcohol used in the fischer-speier esterification reaction affect the average rate of reaction as measured through back titration., to what extent can four seasons hotel’s success be attributed to its corporate culture and isadore sharp’s leadership style, to what extent has zoom’s freemium business model influenced its market leadership position in the north american video conferencing market from 2020 to 2021, how does the total energy supplied during ultrasonic cavitation of benzene affect the integrated photoluminescence intensity and quantum yield of graphene quantum dots (gqds), how is the lift at various angles of attack affected by flap deflection angles, what effect does the difference in radius at the top and bottom of the roller coaster loop have on the maximum change in g-force that a passenger experiences, how does the concentration of harpagoside, which is identified by the surface area of the spot on the chromatography paper, changes in the equine mane over the period of one month after gradual consumption of the supplement “devil’s claw”, how does increasing the angle of a simple pendulum affect its time period, how do changes in viscosity of fluid affect the speed and amplitude of surface waves that are generated by an impact of spherical object, to what extent can the growth of disney+ be sustained as the pandemic’s effects begin to wear off, to what extent has the vehicular emissions scheme (ves) been effective in increasing the consumption of light electric vehicles between 2018 and 2020 in singapore, to what extent can robert iger's leadership style influence the organisational culture and creative success of the walt disney company, to what extent have the corporate social responsibility (csr) policies of the body shop (tbs) have increased its customer base in the united kingdom (uk) cosmetic market since 2018-2020, to what extent were legal measures responsible for the exclusion of jews from german society from 1933-1938, to what extent have tesla’s distinct marketing strategies been effective at promoting its automotive business”, how do the angular momentum and orbital velocity affect the eccentricities of planetary orbits, to what extent was amazon’s decision to expand into the physical grocery retail industry a successful change management strategy, how does varying the solution ph and sodium ethanoate concentration affect the rate and yield of ethane production from its electrolysis, to what extent has spotify’s podcast innovation been an effective growth strategy to increase its profitability, how successful has netflix inc.’s content strategy been at ensuring market and financial growth, to what extent is mental cognitive specific imagery an effective strategy in enhancing skill specific performance for individual athletes, what is the effect of seawater mixture (0%, 5%, 10%) on the germination of black chickpeas (cicer arietinum), green gram (vigna radiata) and fenugreek (trigonella foenum-graecum) for 5 days and their subsequent growth when watered using tap water for 10 days where growth was measured by plant height (±0.05 cm) and dry mass (±0.001 g), how does the velocity of a bicycle on a flat horizontal surface affect its stability, to what extent has innovation and product development contributed to apple being a market leader, effect of storage temperature and time on the vitamin c concnetration in citrus fruit juices, to what extent does the street art in downtown athens, greece politically and socially charge the city, how does major depressive disorder impact the academic performance of youth, investigating the configurable parameters of k-means unsupervised learning, to what extent was josef mengele’s experimentation on ethnical minorities in the auschwitz-birkenau extermination camp in the years 1943-1945 based on nazi ideology over actual scientific investigation, comment victor hugo se sert-il du parcours de claude gueux pour mettre en évidence les lacunes du système carcéral et judiciaire du xixe siècle, in jane austen’s emma, how are the heroine’s evolving speech patterns reflective of her character development.

IMAGES

A Dream to Sing: Stepping into Taylor Swift's World Free Essay Example
How To Write A Paper On Taylor Swift ~ Allard Author
Taylor swift
Taylor Swift is my Role Model: [Essay Example], 971 words GradesFixer
Taylor swift
Taylor Swift (Y3m/Y4s/Y5e) Guided Reading Pack

COMMENTS

Taylor Swift's Complicated Embrace of Tortured Poets
Her most recent book of poems is WE ARE MERMAIDS (2022). Her next collection of lit-crit, SUPER GAY POEMS, will appear in 2025, with a book all about Taylor Swift to follow soon. W ho was the ...
Taylor Swift's Depiction in Genre, Culture, and Society Essay
Taylor Swift is depicted in the media and everyday life as a personable, down-to-earth individual who connects with a diverse range of individuals (Aguirre, 2019). Her prominence bolsters this portrayal as a fashion icon and socially concerned advocate, which positions her as an inspiration to her fans. We will write a custom essay on your topic.
Review: Taylor Swift is back, better and sooner than ever
Taylor Swift fans dropped everything Thursday night to listen to the newly-released "The Tortured Poets Department," a compilation of 65 minutes of heartbreak, angst and regret. ... Guest Essay: From square one to Washington Square, your voice matters ... The Anthology" is the extended version of Taylor Swift's 11th studio album ...
Are You Ready for It? Re-Evaluating Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is a monument to the idea that there once was a place called America. She recalls an old American dream—of high school popularity contests, apple pies, dreamy boys next door, and a very old, very white, Christian nation. She is classic, insofar as her lyrics are about 'me and the boy', rarely tag the present moment, and ...
Taylor Swift: The Tortured Poets Department / The Anthology
Tortured Poets ' extended Anthology edition runs over two hours, and even in the abridged version, its sense of sprawl creeps down to the song level, where Swift's writing is, at best ...
So what exactly makes Taylor Swift so great?
Swift's 131-date "Eras" world tour, currently packing stadiums across the U.S., is on track to be the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, at $1.4 billion, when it ends next year. Analysts estimate the tour will also have a total economic impact from tour-related spending of $5 billion on host cities.
The Linguistic Evolution of Taylor Swift
September 2, 2020. 9 minutes. The icon indicates free access to the linked research on JSTOR. With the surprise midsummer release of Folklore, it seems that Taylor Swift has finally put out an indie record much cooler than her others, one that even a Pitchfork editor could love. The critically acclaimed, aptly named Folklore feels like a cozy ...
Read Taylor Swift's new personal essay explaining eighth album ...
CREDIT: Beth Garrabrant. Taylor Swift has released her surprise eighth album 'Folklore' today (July 24) - read her new personal essay about the creation of the album below. 'Folklore ...
Taylor Swift and the Work of Songwriting
Abstract. In her 2016 speech accepting the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for 1989, Taylor Swift gave a message directed at any young women who were watching: 'focus on the work'. Taking Swift's emphasis on 'the work' as a guide, this article surveys Swift's changing compositional techniques and her reception as a songwriter ...
Read Taylor Swift's essay on her ninth album, 'Evermore': "I have no
Taylor Swift 's surprise ninth studio album 'Evermore' is out in the world, and she has taken to social media to share an essay about the album's conception. The essay included words she ...
≡Essays on Taylor Swift
In this essay,... The Grammy-winning singer, songwriter Taylor Swift, caused a sensation in the country music scene in 2006 and became one of the most popular acts of pop music.Taylor Swift was born in Reading, Pennsylvania on December 13, 1989. At the age of 16, she was known...
"The Great War" Taylor Swift Song Analysis Essay
The fourteenth track on Taylor Swift's tenth studio album Midnights, "The Great War" is a heartbreaking ballad regarding an argument sparked between two lovers rooted in trauma from past ...
If I Was The Man, Then I'd Be The Man: An Essay Inspired by Taylor Swift
An analytical-but-personal essay inspired by Taylor Swift's song "The Man" and navigating a seemingly male-dominated music industry. I n 2019, one of the most successful female artists of the century, Taylor Swift, released her seventh studio album Lover. However, it was only Swift's first record she owned the full rights to.
Analyzing the Empowering Message of "The Man" by Taylor Swift
The song "The Man'' Taylor writes a lyric about a particular famous male in Hollywood "And we would toast to me, oh, let the players play I'd be just like Leo, in Saint-Tropez.". While men in Hollywood are out partying in expensive places across the world, Taylor is getting slut shamed for hanging out with a guy.
Great Taylor Swift Essay Topics : r/TaylorSwift
Great Taylor Swift Essay Topics. So I'm back from the 100 pages of Taylor Swift Essay topics, and I'm thinking of making another 50 pages sometime. That will take a while, so I'm looking for good topics to write on (There's already a bunch of work on Folklore/Evermore so I'd prefer earlier albums which have less academia on them.)
english lang & lit EE
Taylor has generally cohesive albums, so if you want to pick evermore, choose the whole album. My supervisors said that my EE has a high chance of getting an A, but a lot of that is probably because I went into depth with each song/part of the short story rather than picking all of the songs. I only had 4 main paragraphs in my body - with each ...
Taylor Swift Sexuality Essay in NY Times "Awful," Says Chely Wright
A New York Times essay speculating about Taylor Swift's sexuality has been called "awful" by gay country singer Chely Wright. The "Single White Female" singer and activist who came out in 2010 and ...
25 of Taylor Swift's Most Poetic Lyrics of All Time
18. "You tell me about your past thinking your future was me" - All Too Well(Red) If this doesn't scream poetic, I don't know what does. 19. "I can see you starin', honey / Like he's just your understudy" - exile (folklore) A very theatricalway of describing your ex seeing you in a new relationship. 20.
Taylor Swift's 'Tortured Poets Department' is a lyrical letdown
1:13. When Taylor Swift announced her new album, " The Tortured Poets Department, " earlier this year at the Grammys, I was equal parts curious and unaffected. Even as a lifelong fan, I wasn ...
Opinion: How Taylor Swift's new album is an extended family ...
CNN —. Friday's midnight release of "The Tortured Poets Department," Taylor Swift's 11th album, means that yet another era has begun — and a record-breaking one at that. Swifties, who ...
Taylor Swift, grief therapist? How my late husband's Swiftie legacy
When she released "Fearless (Taylor's Version)," my 25-year-old co-worker and I bonded, not just over our love for Taylor's music but also her project to rerecord all her old songs so that she ...
Literary References in Taylor Swift's Lyrics You May Have Missed
Advertisement. Taylor Swift may be a pop star and businesswoman, but she's best known by fans as a lyricist. "Everybody has their own sort of niche or specialty thing that they do that, you know ...
How to write a poem: 11 prompts to get you into Taylor Swift's
Here are some prompts to kickstart your poetry era. Use a five-dollar word: Who else could fit "clandestine" and "mercurial" in a song? Use an unexpected word from Swift's work, like ...
Taylor Swift Has Given Fans a Lot. Is It Finally Too Much?
A Triumph at the Grammys: Taylor Swift made history by winning her fourth album of the year at the 2024 edition of the awards, an event that saw women take many of the top awards.
Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' Arrives
Overnight, TikTok unveiled "The Ultimate Taylor Swift In-App Experience," offering fans digital goodies like a "Tortured Poets-inspired animation" on their feed. Before the album's ...
Taylor Swift is my Role Model: [Essay Example], 971 words
Taylor Swift is My Role Model. Right before any big exams at high school, I usually spent fifteen minutes walking down the hallway, from the school yard to wherever the exam will be held. In the past years, I used to have the feeling of overwhelmed before exam, that I was not going to do great even how hard I had prepared for the exam.
taylor swift related college essay topics : r/TaylorSwift
An entrance essay must set you apart from the other applicants, must tell the committee about yourself, personal experience that has impacted you. If there isn't anything, you need to find something. Religion, sport activity, group activity, a hobby, a vacation, family member, a book, a loss/death. Find something.
Taylor Swift in the tortured poet's workshop
Advertisement: Taylor Swift, chair of the Tortured Poets Department as of midnight, enjoys no such cover, though her storytelling, not only within individual songs and albums but across her body ...
English B Extended Essay Topics and RQs
100+ IB extended essay topic ideas for your ease. One of the very important requirements of an IB diploma is the extended essay. This really helps bring up the total score. And one problem students face here is gathering ideas for their IB extended essay. Here is some guiding information that can help with extended essay topics.
IB EE examples for all subjects
Advertise with Clastify. What is the effect of seawater mixture (0%, 5%, 10%) on the germination of black chickpeas (Cicer arietinum), Green Gram (Vigna radiata) and Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) for 5 days and their subsequent growth when watered using tap water for 10 days where growth was measured by plant height (±0.05 cm) and dry ...