Taylor Swift and the Lyric Tradition

[@platypuspalace4987]

“We’re not trying to figure out what Swift was trying to do, we’re trying to figure out what the poem does”. I had to go back and listen to that again, it’s such good food for thought.

[@kathrynaston6841]

I think she even said that about her own songs in an interview. When a poet puts something out, it stops being about them and it becomes about the listener and how the poem relates to them. It is such a profundity thing that prose and poetry can communicate through time and location.

[@coolclevercute]

Dear Adam, please, pretty please, with sugar and honey and spices and sprinkles on top, please do a video on Hozier! He is one of the best song-writers ever, and I will die on that hill happily. His lyrics so often reference and resemble classic Irish poetry, especially Seamus Heaney and W.B. Yeats. Just pick any song from his latest album, "Unreal Unearth", and I think you'll be enjoying going through it almost as much as we'll enjoy watching you do it 😊 Wishing you all the very best, and thank you for the insightful videos!❤

[@sarahb.poetry]

I second this

[@MileyLoverIv19]

Yes! Hozier is a lyrical genius, would love to see a video on him!

[@akhlaqahmad6206]

Appreciated

[@alianne92]

Yes! This would be amazing, especially because Unreal Unearth is an interpretation of/inspired by Dante’s Inferno.

[@timothyarlissobrien]

we need this

[@swiftlypoet]

26:36 That’s actually a great observation. She integrates clothing items and landscapes in her songs a lot, such as in “happiness”, “seven”, “this love”, “clean”, “style”, “dress”, “cardigan”, “is it over now?”, “you’re in love”, “begin again”, “all too well”, “evermore”, etc..

[@akashvalsan6609]

Especially in her choruses

[@venus_blue25]

yes! give us more, on her evermore and folklore albums. Her best work lyrically!

[@sophiaisabelle027]

Taylor Swift is more of a storyteller than a full-blown singer. The way she articulates personal but heartfelt situations in her songs is something no other artist can copy exactly. It's very unique to her. I guess you could say Taylor may have earned her degree in writing a commemorative piece dedicated to souls affected by tragedy, loss, love, and desperation.

[@unicamentejoao5676]

I really like her composition, I think this is her greatest talent

[@ODKON93]

well, she won a National Poetry contest when she was a kid, what else can one expect.

[@alisong826]

It’s wild, she said wrote this in math class back in high school

[@marta7366]

This was so interesting. Taylor has a song called Long Live that says, "Will you take a moment? Promise me this That you'll stand by me forever But if, God forbid, fate should step in And force us into a goodbye If you have children someday When they point to the pictures Please tell them my name Tell them how the crowds went wild Tell them how I hope they shine" She manifests, over and over again, how she wants to be remembered. So much so that she goes as far as asking the listener/reader to "tell them my name". It's actually wild (although it's a song for her fans, but it's wild nonetheless). I would love to see more analysis of other artists. Lana Del Rey has a lyric that says, "You can't be a muse and be happy, too You can't blacken the pages with Russian poetry and be happy", and I was always so interested in what inspirations she has in her music and lyrics.

[@pineappleink]

I believe she wrote Long Live about her band who tours with her. It later evolved into a fan anthem over the course of the Speak Now tour. So it's a little less wild with that context.

[@mowgli7_]

For me that line always makes me cry. For the way she sings it. Always with a tinge of hope and a heart full of gratitude❤

[@mustbethevoid]

​@@pineappleinkyeah, Long Live was written for her band mates aka The Agency. It is so nice that some are still working with her (Amos and Paul) and so sweet how ex-members (Cait and Liz) came back and joined her in the re-recording process 😢 they truly kept their promise.

[@NoName-fo7mz]

How is it “wild”

[@matthewcaldwell8100]

What excellent middle school poetry. Maybe when she grows up she’ll write something an adult would find enjoyable.

[@ia8343]

As a Swiftie and literature enthusiast, I love this so much, thank you for making it! I've always been interested in the intertextuality in Taylor's works... A fun fact you might enjoy: her song 'tolerate it'-which is excellent-was inspired by 'Rebecca' by Daphne du Maurier, one of my favorite books.

[@yara5502]

True, she also said recently that she felt that her and Rebecca had a lot of feelings in common at the time of writing that song...

[@MegaBabro]

@@yara5502 This is sad :( I knew she was inspired by Rebecca, but I didn't know she said she had a lot of feelings in common at the time of writing. Do you have a link to this?

[@RhyzanJurielleBajet]

I​@MegaBabro i think it's on the apple music interview she did for evermore. It's a 53-minute video, I think.

[@starbucksmocha88]

I'm so glad I found this! As a huge fan of Taylor's and with her new album coming out soon called The Tortured Poets Department, I've been really hoping to find more people analysing her lyrics as poems, so this was exactly what I was looking for! I honestly would have loved for you to carry on longer, I was curious what you would have said about the next section of The Lakes, with the calamitous love and insurmountable grief line. Would definitely watch another video featuring Taylor's lyrics if you ever felt like doing a pt 2! I really feel like I learned a lot watching this, thank you!

[@ashleymufasa]

I agree 100%

[@Familylawgroup]

Maybe if he starts a Patreon he will take requests?.? (Insert wishful blink). This is the closest I will get to learning about studying poetry. There is a niche here in YT…teaching modern songs through a poet’s lens.

[@starbucksmocha88]

@@Familylawgroup oh yeah a Patreon would be a great idea!!

[@chrystalhope9094]

💕💜💕

[@danila__fi]

@@starbucksmocha88friends, he has one, and the group there is wonderful!!

[@r1tw1k]

All Too Well 10 Minute Version is considered by many to be her magnum opus. I'd love to see you cover that if you decide to return to Taylor -- considering your previous analysis here on memory and place/immediacy when she writes. Her early music is so focused on wanting to be seen, heard, and preserved. The album that ATWTMV is from is her first that really delves into perspective taking and the zooming in of moments from a future point in time. Would also love to hear your thoughts about The Tortured Poets Department when it comes out!

[@VioletEmerald]

When you bring up the teardrops on my guitar imagery it reminds me of the vows she wrote in Lover including "with every guitar string scar on my hand"... it's very interesting to consider lyrics tying themselves inextricably from music like this.

[@LeticiaCarvalho06]

As an English student, I must confess that I've always had a hard time studying poetry because I think I'm more of a prose girly. But since I started studying Taylor's lyrics more in depth that sparkle for poetry is slowly growing on me. Thanks for this amazing video.

[@veroniqueperry1326]

We may call it poetic prose… freed from cumbersome pompous formality.

[@NoName-fo7mz]

Lmao that’s so sad 😂

[@FrankMadro]

Thank you for making this video and putting Taylor Swifts lyricism in some historic context. I also want to thank you for taking her work seriously while it is so common to just disregard any successful artist, especially any successful female artist. I do think the reason why so many people connect so deeply with her and her work is the quality of her lyrics which is unmatched at least in her generation. I especially enjoyed the remarks about memory and remembrance as they are such important themes in her work. And especially in Taylor Swifts work there is a second function of putting something into words besides remembrance and that is to banish an emotion, an event into a work of art and in this way cleansing yourself. And if I might suggest one other poet that is also a singer for another close reading: Bob Dylan with his deep connection to lyric tradition.

[@josefina6545]

I definitely fell in love with Taylor's work when folklore came out, even though I have known her for decades. No music videos, no crazy visuals or marketing, just my interpretation of her work. She just left our minds to wander through her songs creating a sort of fantasy land through that album, and that's when I realized why her songs have such a magnetic effect. Its almost like she abducts the listener into the scene she describes not only visually, but emotionally. I feel the characters sorrow and joy, even if I have never been in that exact situation. For example in august, in tolerate it, miss americana and the heartbreak prince, my tears ricochet, and I could go on and on. I believe its her profound knowledge on feelings, and how, even though they arise from different scenarios in her songs, they end up being showing universal behavior and sentiment. She explores very twisted feelings, some that many listeners decide to ignore in their daily life but can't do when listening to her. The listener feels seen with her songs, just like Taylor wants to feel in her lyrics.

[@itsanniedee]

There is so much to appreciate in this video. First, I want to say you're the first lecturer who has ever made me understand Shakespeare sonnets. I struggle deeply with reading comprehension for unfamiliar patterns of speaking like turn of the century novels or Shakespeare, but the way you read and broke down the sonnets you shared gave me a chance to understand and even enjoy them. Second, I really appreciate the acknowledgement of Taylor Swift as a poet and this idea that just because she is "new and current" to us now as a living, active artist doesn't mean that her lyricism doesn't or won't have historical merit in the greater scheme of literary history. It brings me a lot of joy to see someone step outside of their comfort zone to examine something like Taylor Swift's lyrics with a critical eye, and not bring any preconceived notions about their value or anything like that just because she's a famous popstar. Thanks for this work. I'm interested in checking out your other videos, and would love to see more videos like this bridging modern accessible poetry like popular music with the rest of your expertise on classics, whether you do more Taylor Swift analysis or other artists. I see you have gotten a lot of recommendations in the comments already but I also suggest you examine the lyrics of Noah Kahan, from his album Stick Season. He examines a lot of deep themes in his music with clever lines and writing that I enjoy very much.

[@closereadingpoetry]

Thank you!

[@gaylenwoof]

When I heard this song, I was intrigued by the line “Isn’t it romantic how all of my elegies eulogize me.” It took me a while to decipher what she was getting at. I don’t know if I succeeded but, for what it’s worth, here is what I came up with: An elegy is generally a soulful reflection triggered by the loss of a loved, but I think the term can also evoke the idea of sadness due to loss in a more general sense. Taylor is famous for sad songs about loss. A eulogy gives praise to someone who had died. A eulogy about Taylor would certainly have to mention that a great deal of her fame as a songwriter rests on her sad songs about loss. In effect, her elegies are/will be the grounds for a great deal of praise (her eulogy). I also see the song resonating with the idea of a new upgraded/mature version of the Romantic era. I see her as yearning for a revitalization of yin-energy to provide a counterbalance to the historic dominance of traditional patriarchy (she explicitly attacks patriarchy in some of her songs). Also: She sometimes implies that her fans can be her muse. So, I suspect that in this song she’s not just talking about a particular person/lover/muse, or just about just her own personal retirement. Taylor sees that she doesn’t belong in this toxic environment, and neither do we (her fans/her audience). I don’t know if you’d consider investigating more TSwift but, if you would, then I would suggest more songs from her folklore and evermore albums. Here are a few in particular: My Tears Ricochet (Long Pond Sessions) kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5XNpGCerJyGpsk Taylor Swift - mirrorball (the long pond studio sessions) kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYfLf2N8oNelbKs Taylor Swift - this is me trying (the long pond studio sessions) kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWOop6V6jrd7rM0 Taylor Swift - ivy (Official Lyric Video) kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5-sgKtjmt-fsKM Taylor Swift - happiness (Official Lyric Video) kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoGXhYedqZmhmJI

[@nimratmand3318]

I interpreted it the same way! Love to see that someone agrees!

[@starbucksmocha88]

Wow I love this that really makes a lot of sense! Also great song suggestions to feature in a future video... I'd love to hear what he'd say about those! Also some Midnights ones like Would've Could've Should've, The Great War and Dear Reader would be interesting to hear his analysis on.

[@mowgli7_]

Wow

[@meraki664]

omg yes evermore is my number 1 and folklore is my number 2 i love them so much

[@cjcidaho]

Such a thoughtful analysis. I do hope Taylor Swift sees this video.

[@musicandmania]

There are several universities offering academic courses on 'Taylor Swift'. Ranging from entertainment business type of classes, to studying her discography through the "eras", and of course literary interpretation and analysis. I recently looked into taking some a la credits just to take a class, lol. My hope is that in the near future these courses might be available for places like Coursera.

[@deanfan8]

I really love your analysis and thoughtful commentary. Thank you for being objective, respectful and for taking her work seriously. Considering that her catalog is so vast and unique, I would love to watch a Part 2 of your analysis of her work.

[@feminoise]

I’m a songwriter and had literally taken a break from a song I was stuck on when this video popped up as recommended. I am now super inspired to get back to my writing. Thanks so much. I look forward to watching more of your work.

[@meeomelovescookiesandhisto459]

I may have been one of the people you saw asking for a video topic like this, so I wanted to say thank you for making this video! I really enjoyed your take on Taylor Swift's lyrics, there's a lot you talked about with your expertise (and the expertise of your undergrads :) ) that I hadn't thought of before. I love that you both take her lyricism seriously but also don't take her too seriously or fall into the current hype. This is such a great channel, so thanks again for giving us free access to a lot of your work!

[@felienmusic]

This video was GOOD. I use a lot of Taylor Swifts lyrics in my songwriting classes and this video gives me extra enthusiasm and knowledge to go on!

[@processingtheinfo]

My lack of English knowledge usually does not allow me to be listening to such videos, lengthy and advanced, for too long. I usually get bored, and a little bit frustrated when I can’t understand half of the words. yet, I find this video very interesting in some ways I probably can’t explain. I listened to it all, carefully. got engaged, enjoyed, and learned.

[@closereadingpoetry]

That's wonderful!

[@smc8238]

I love this unique, eloquent, unbiased perspective on Taylor Swift and her lyricisms. Thank you for bestowing such a perspective upon us.

[@musicandmania]

I came across this video because I am a writer as well as a fan, so the algorithm worked in my favor today. I am new to Taylor Swift, but I highly recommend looking into a few others that I believe could be great examples and exercises. "All Too Well (the 10 minute version)-- this is destined to become labled as a masterpiece in my lifetime, I'm sure. Another suggestion is "Mastermind", the rhythm in it holds as much power as her writing but I truly think that she goes a little under the radar and her writing in these are not appreciated enough. Lastly I think "You're On Your Own Kid" would be a very cathartic experience for picking-apart. Some scholars have claimed that her writing is our generation's Emily Dickinson.

[@ZATennisFan]

Most of her fans, including myself, already consider it her masterpiece or magnum opus. For me it's closely followed by "Epiphany"

[@sarahann74]

I’m very excited to hear that her new album is called the tortured poet’s department and it’s obviously going to have a lot of references to classic poetry and I think that a lot of Taylor Swift fans would love your perspective on a few of those songs once they’re released! Her album folklore in 2020 is, in my opinion, her most poetic album so far and I’m very excited for something similar because folklore is one of my favorite albums possibly of all time. Please considering listening and analyzing more of Taylor Swift’s work in the future. This was such a delight to watch. ❤

[@allyciawolff2312]

This was wonderful! Thank you! I kindly request a part 2 🙏🏻 I could have listened for hours

[@lamp2208]

I really love this syntopical analysis. The not so easily seen meanings behind Taylor’s almost simple and understandable lyrics then comparing it to other poems just makes me so happy. It’s also like a teaser to the complexity and intricacies of the world of poetry. I hope your channel reaches more people but at the same time I want to gatekeep you for being such a valuable gem 😂

[@ohifonlyx33]

From "You Are In Love": "And you [the person falling in love] understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars, and why I've spent my whole life trying to put it into words." Yeah, Taylor Swift tends to write a lot about love and longing and heartbreak... but why? because its a powerful human experience and she is trying to capture that emotion like so many throughout history have.

[@VioletEmerald]

Hey old vidding friend! Nice to see you here. Yes she's a poet indeed. Also you swapped the order by mistake of "lost their minds" and "fought the wars", and ironically it does matter for poetic reasons which is said when in the line lol - wars and words line up nicely in the song as a kinda near rhyme.

[@ohifonlyx33]

@@VioletEmerald whoooaaa crazy to run into you here. And whoops. I guess my brain was just working backwards. Lol. Thanks for catching that. I've edited my mistake.

[@TiffanyTeaLeaves]

I’m so excited it found you in advance of the release of Taylor’s upcoming album, The Tortured Poets Department. I’ve been wishing for a poetry expert to dissect the new lyrics with 🤩 I hope you choose to take a deep dive once it’s released 🙏🏼 Ps, incase nobody told you already Taylor has a special place in her heart for Coleridge and Wordsworth, the album Folklore was wrotten after visiting the Lakes where Lyrical Ballads was written. I suspect her song on the upcoming called The Albatross maybe conjuring Rime of the Ancient Mariner Nice to meet you

[@closereadingpoetry]

I'm predicting the Albatross will be a self-protrait like Baudelaire's, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was Coleridgean!

[@laraluisacorrea4375]

I knew this day would come.

[@alisong826]

I love your background; it’s very visually pleasing with a hint of nostalgia 😊

[@Liz-tooknotes]

I’m studying creative writing and personall aspire to be a poet, so as a “swiftie” I appreciate this. I feel people discount her talents because she is “pop” but her lyricism is unmatched in the modern pop world. I’m curious what your analysis of Under Pressure by Queen/Bowie is.

[@lemmetellyaboutit]

6:19 it is interesting because it isn’t grammatically correct but for syllables and pacing it makes perfect sense. She says, “I want and I’m needing” because with her thicker accent the “and” and the “-ing” on needing sound similar (like “in”) also “I want and” “I’m needing” both have 3 syllables

[@Familylawgroup]

You should add her ten minute long “All Too Well” for consideration if an epic poem!

[@margaretjames1579]

My first thought was that her body of work is the epic

[@lauravelazquez8599]

I think her most poetic album is- by far- EVERMORE. I hope you can analyze it someday. You’ll find amazing hidden poetic gems 💎

[@mari.laurenco]

I agree, I always think about those lyrics.

[@hermitwatcher8997]

Yeah I can see how people are making whole courses on Taylor swift. I could take a course from you on her about the recurring themes of her discography and how some songs relate to others. Wow. Thanks for putting this together.

[@jajadasliebe]

I think about this video all the time when listening to Taylor's music. I think it should be essential viewing for all swifties. Thank you for putting this together! Would love more exploration of her work in the context of the lyric tradition.

[@JenniferDomitrovits-xu9df]

Hello! I really enjoyed this video and will be watching your others. Something I’ve become interested in recently is the idea of Swift as one of the “New Romantics”. In addition to the song, The Lakes, I’ve found other songs and statements by Swift linking her to Romanticism. On the deluxe version of the album 1989, Swift has a song New Romantics. It doesn’t seem like it’s a favorite among fans but I, personally, think it’s one of her most important songs if you’d like to understand Swift as an artist. In short, I believe that a solid interpretation of New Romantics is as a “mission statement” from Swift. IMO, Swift conceives of her work as part of a tradition of “new Romanticism” that appears to have originated, at least in popular culture, in the 1980’s. There are breadcrumbs within the song such as a Hawthorne reference: “We show off our different scarlet letters. Trust me, mine is better.” There’s a line “You can’t see it in my face, but I’m about to play my ace” that delights me because, I believe, that part of what she is doing is saying, “I’m giving you guys a big hint as to what I’m all about.” And, as much as her fans love dissecting her songs to figure out who they are about, etc., it looks like hardly anyone picks up on how important this song might be in understanding Swift and her work. I also found a video of a performance fairly early in her career. In it, Swift takes exception to the idea that her songs are “all about boys and break-ups.” She says, “My songs are about feelings”. She goes on to list things she believes are “Romantic”. I can’t remember exactly what she said, but they were things along the lines getting caught in a rainstorm, etc. The important part was that none of the things she listed were about romantic love. At any rate, just thought I’d share. 😊

[@thinedge]

I absolutely LOVE New Romantics. It is a fan favorite, a deep cut. Watch her performance of it in the 1989 tour.

[@JenniferDomitrovits-xu9df]

Oh yes - I’ve seen it! 😊

[@nostraa6125]

Interesting analysis. Taylor is famous for dropping clues. Note, "what are my words worth" is definitely an allusion to William Wordsworth. Just because it's in "two words," as you say, doesn't mean the allusion isn't there. I think it's probably even more intentional than it may appear. But, to your credit, you are taking her seriously as a poet. It will be interesting to see what's in her next album this April, titled "tortured poets department."

[@holosapiens]

This was so great to hear! I would love to hear you talk about her other songs as well. Please do more videos on Taylor

[@jessicam3676]

Found you a few months ago and am so excited to catch a piece live!!!! This is magical what each and every one of you do!!!!!

[@vp4744]

Adam, thank you very much for this video. You cleared up something that was nagging me. Halfway through your "dream" analysis, it struck me why Taylor seems disconnected with the song's emotion. You helped me understand that there is a difference between an emotion and the memory of an emotion. Taylor's all about the memory, reflection, contemplation. As Plato said, twice removed. Contrast that with someone like Billie Eilish, who is raw, direct, and immediate.

[@LynnHolder-nh1bt]

Looking forward to listening to more of your work with Taylor’s new work! Thank you so much. I love when my husband quotes Shakespeare and teaches our daughter about sonnets and rhyming couplets!

[@Kukriarts]

I would ask Lana del Rey's next

[@timothyarlissobrien]

Omg I would do anything to watch that!

[@arinaarina8496]

YESSSSSS

[@n_2289]

YEESSSSSSS

[@yousseffjactthar]

Yesssssss ❤

[@symphonylightbourne]

Yesss

[@hannaherbesmith6487]

Firstly, I'd like to thank you for covering Swift's lyrics. I've been following your channel for a while, and although I don't consider myself a fan, I appreciate the opportunity you created for people to connect with poetry through the work of a familiar artist. I'd also like to add for other viewers: I'm certain that "The Lakes" alludes to "the Lake Poets" (of course, Wordsworth comes up here already), which sprung up as a disparaging term to describe the pocket of Romantics that occupied the Lake District enclave in England: Wordsworth, Coleridge, Robert Southey, and Thomas De Quincey, among others. This is consistent with Folklore's theme underscoring the romantic desire to retreat to the wilderness--in "The Lakes," to protect herself from further villification from "cynical clones." If you think about "The Lakes" as a metonym for the Lake Poets, it's almost as though she is embodying their voice through her own indignation. I thought people here might appreciate this insight :) Adam, thank you for what you do for this platform.

[@hannaherbesmith6487]

In the Edinburgh Review, critic Francis Jeffrey described them as belonging to "the School of whining and hypochondriacal poets that haunt the Lakes." Swift identifies with the subject of this criticsm. When she sings, "where all the poets went to die," there is a connection to Jeffrey's word choice with "haunt." The poets' posthumous lingering and their influence on Swift is preserved here, and she seeks comraderie with their ghosts.

[@closereadingpoetry]

Thanks for this. I lost subscribers on this one, so I'm glad others are enjoying it!

[@thinedge]

@@closereadingpoetry Lost subscribers? Any reasons given when they left? Are they poetry snobs, Taylor haters or they don't recognize her lyrical artistry?? As you learn more of the Tay Lore, you begin to see double and triple meanings in her verse. I only went 'down the rabbit hole' a couple years ago but the more I learn the richer her writing becomes. Did you know she won a national poetry contest in the 4th grade? She has always been a poet and storyteller first. You should read Willow from her evermore album; "Wait for the signal and I'll meet you after dark. I'm like the water when your ship rolled in that night -rough on the surface but you cut through like a knife, and if it was an open-shut case I never would've known from that look on your face. Lost in your current like a priceless wine." "Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind, they count me out time and time again." "Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind, but I come back stronger than a 90's trend."

[@jenbueno]

​@@closereadingpoetry Don't worry. You will surely gain new followers because of this one, too.

[@melindatintle9728]

@@closereadingpoetryI’m sorry you lost subs. But you’ve invoked the swiftie subscribers. I love this. Thank you!

[@daktraveler56]

Taylor is a poet. She's a true storyteller, that respects language and I admire her ability to change genres so effortlessly. She's a poet 😊❤

[@emilyetallman]

Thank you for this! I’m a songwriter, and the way you analyze lyrical poetry has helped me a lot; my storytelling is getting so much better because of your channel! Also, I’d love to hear your take on her album The Tortured Poet’s Department when it comes out. Best wishes!

[@alisong826]

Her interview with Paul McCartney her favorite words and how she wanted to incorporate them into folklore and evermore albums

[@Porcelynnn]

Which interview?

[@1989TaylorsVersiom]

​@lynninfinite i think it was for rolling stone during covid.

[@deborahb13]

Wow, incredible analysis. I think also more than retirement, she longs for peace, a possibility of living a normal life since she is so often surrounded by crowds

[@pmdaly1975]

I loved this! Thank you for your time in reviewing some of Taylor’s lyrics/poems with a bit of poetic history.

[@ashleymufasa]

I actually always thought she was saying I want and I need. That surprised me.

[@LoverSlayer]

What a lovely video. I love watching people close reading poetry, guess I have a channel to binge now. Also, it's so cool to bring huge pop songwriters like Taylor or Lana Del Rey closer to poetry so their fans can find out they might be interested in poetry too.

[@kathrynaston6841]

I wish Taylor Swift would get her university degree for real. She is such an inspirational and influential woman. Harvard even has a class about her economics, and her artistry is so profound. She doesn’t need an honorary anything. With on line attendance so available, I think she needs to obtain her credit and collect her true recognition.

[@musicandmania]

I believe she will when she reaches the end of her current endeavor. I somewhat anticipate she will take a hiatus in the next few years considering how much she has done and continues to do in such a short span of time. I think she might try her hand at other art endeavors like screenplay and directing... I definitely agree though, I think she has gotten her honorary degree but deserves the chance to do the formal education part; not for credentials as "proof" but I reckon her writing would level beyond what we can imagine

[@char4980]

love this. please make more videos about Taylor's lyrics💕

[@TQ2andDebbieDo]

I enjoyed this very much. It was interesting to take the time to carefully consider her words. I have to complain a little at your repeated assertion about the desire to die and blend or something. It is much easier and, imho, more sensible to read those lyrics as a desire to transcend. She doesn’t want to cease, she wants to leave the current state to become something new.

[@closereadingpoetry]

I hear you, and I think your comment fits alongside the desire to die. For Wordsworth, death and somnial states of consciousness are often linked to creativity and transcendence. The creative sleep of the senses and the visionary power attending such states are like death in Wordsworth's poetry: "with an eye made quiet by the power of harmony and the deep power of joy, we see into the life of things." Another good comparison here would be John Keats's "Ode to a Nightingale," in which the desire to experience a kind of death overlaps with the poet's desire to "leave the world unseen, And with thee fade away into the forest dim."

[@margaretjames1579]

So enjoyable.

[@emelymarie9734]

adored this video!! would love love love to see you analyze more of her songs!

[@musicandmania]

28:23 im not sure if you are also intrigued by the songs themselves, but I wanted to recommend watching her Grammy's performance of Wildest Dreams (its from a long while ago). The original record is upbeat and synthetic like most of her work and what one might expect from her, beautiful of course. But the Grammy's performance she does a stripped version with nothing but a mic and an electric guitar, and it gives the entire record a completely different experience. The lyrics almost take on a different identity just from the change in presentation.

[@emilyrose5079]

This video is brilliant! I hope one day a scholar writes a full book analysing Taylor Swift's writing

[@moniquekwachou342]

I love that i came across this. I think people focus on comparing her to performers and celebrity but honestly she's first and foremost a damn good songwriter. Everything else pales

[@patfts2518]

Love this video! I think the song that best depicts the intentionality of her songwriting is the song "Maroon" from Midnights album

[@hannahshmulsky7119]

Agreed!! Very underrated song from Midnights ❤❤

[@Callahan-w8j]

It is the infusion of the tears into the instrument that creates a synthesis and incarnates the lyre with her grief. This shedding of tears (shedding of sacrificial blood into the wood of the cross) is what activates the lyre and causes it to express her yearning for Drew. Perhaps he will hear the music of her heart if he cannot see it when he's with her.

[@paulprice4049]

Agree with the other comments about getting this as a series or another about Tortured Poets Department. This is probably the best breakdown of her work I’ve seen.

[@dmay1738]

Thank you for this video! I loved it

[@Donna-C]

19:28 - Note the new album being released on 19th April is titled “The Tortured Poets Department”’and one of the Bonus tracks is “The Bolter”! Several theories about this track as someone who runs away and also within poetry

[@megheaney8106]

This is amazing to listen to

[@madeupname3008]

I could watch hours and hours of this

[@zairazaira_]

loved this video adam, particularly the bit with the quote from wordsworth to william rowan hamilton! would love a part 2 or a series on classical poetry "easter eggs" (pun intended) in modern songs :)

[@yasmeen1159]

Wow this was so eye-opening. More analyzing Taylor Swift poems please!!

[@claudeernestbarcelona2465]

37:25 This is literally her having Joe Alwyn as her safe place during her post-1989 era which is basically what gave birth to her Reputation album.

[@letterscreative]

This perspective of american country/pop is very refreshing. Love it that you include different genres.

[@jaydarobison4819]

you get it!!! thank you so much for sharing!

[@MT-hy6pr]

An unexpected turn, but all forms of poetry are fascinating, so why not?

[@ultravioletpisces3666]

27:56 I noticed George Michael, in two of his best known songs also references getting away from the crowds or hiding in a crowd. “I wish that we could lose this crowd… maybe it’s better this way, we’d hurt each other with the things we want to say.” (Careless Whisper) And A crowded room. Friends with tired eyes. I'm hiding from you and your soul of ice. (Last Christmas)

[@CoreenMontagna]

This was really cool.mid love to see you cover more contemporary poets and lyricists!

[@teasatisa]

thank you for this. I think your calming voice is the best part of this video. can you also do an analysis of the smashing pumpkins? I've always been curious of the poetry of billy corgan's lyrics

[@emmadefrancesco408]

Ok but can this be a series. I have a long list of songs that need your analysis

[@hellogoditsmesara3569]

I request a part 2 and for ivy to be on it That is all Further suggestion: just to the evermore album

[@itstimetobegin3775]

THIS CHANNEL... THIS WAS A DREAM FOR ME IM SO HAPPYYYY.

[@itstimetobegin3775]

can anyone suggest channels like this ?? :))

[@VivekPatel-ze6jy]

37:12 well she has a song called 'The Archer' so it's definitely a possibility

[@sophiaschwarzkopf6698]

Oh this was so interesting and beautiful! Thank you for sharing, I‘m subscribing immediately!!!

[@aleksandrap.5088]

She is very aware of Cooper. She has a song "The Archer". She loves to put Easter eggs in her songs and i mean Easter eggs that are close to impossible to find

[@pulvermosis]

One of the most fascinating videos I've ever seen. Would love to hear your analysis of some of her songs from her newest album The Tortured Poets Department.

[@ATWTMVTVFTVSGAVRALPS]

Great video! I have a video idea: analyzing the lyrics of folklore and evermore songs

[@kendallsnee1501]

The lyre (guitar) from Tear Drops on My Guitar, being central to the song reminds me of, Ode on a Grecian Urn.

[@emelymarie9734]

would love to hear your close reading of her 10 min song All Too Well!

[@isobelmoore7025]

This was fantastic thank you 🥹 I’d love to watch you breakdown more TS songs please and thank you 😍

[@cattayswift]

Thank you, this video was so beautiful I cried

[@jango1970]

Interesting about Lyric Poetry (4:09). I didnt know: "Lyric poetry takes its name from the lyre, a stringed instrument played to accompany a song." (Wiki)

[@tiffanysullivan3655]

8:00 not sure if someone has mentioned this, but that line of teardrops on my guitar was originally "i laugh 'cause it's d*mn funny" so that's why it sounded off with the syllables. Also, it was originally written as **You** look at me, etc. but somebody wanted it to make it sound more personal so changed it to Drew from "you"

[@Khatoon170]

Thank you mr Adam for your wonderful cultural literary channel. I gathered main information about topic you mentioned briefly first of all definition of lyric poetry is characterized by it brevity, musicality, expression of personal emotions. It’s often features first person speaker and addresses themes such as love , nature , passage of time . Lyric poetry can take many forms including sonnets, odes , haikus , elegies . It’s term for both modern lyric poetry and derived from form of Ancient Greek literature, Greek lyric, which has derived by musical accompaniment usually on stringed instrument known as kithara, seven stringed lyric ( hence lyric ). Term owes importance in literary theory to division developed by Aristotle among three broad categories of poetry lyrical , dramatic, epic . Lyric poetry is one of earliest forms of literature.

[@ultravioletpisces3666]

15:11 I am a really big fan of so called “insta poetry” and part of the reason is actually this. It’s what the poem evokes in me… not just at r the technical skill of the poet. Some of the simplest poems can have a deep impact far beyond what was said… I’d love to see you discuss Rumi Kaur and the poetry book of Megan Fox if you haven’t yet. ❤❤

[@janet77822]

thank you for making this.

[@gothduck7541]

Analysis of Hozier's work would be fantastic!

[@Sky-me3fx]

Can u pls do this for lana 😭 her poetry book and her songs like kintsugi, pawn shop blues and fingertips

[@Raelven]

Ms Swift probably had top tier instruction / tutoring in her past. She is obviously intelligent, but also she must be well educated, more than she lets on about. She knows to not kill any illusions with facts. She is naturally gifted, for certain, but she has a good foundation, kept building on that, worked hard, and used any failures as a springboard for improvement. That's a winning formula.

[@ultravioletpisces3666]

13:03 when she sings it she says “keeps me wishin’ on a wishing star.” Idk I think it’s kind of interesting. I never actually realized that she repeated the same word lol

[@ATWTMVTVFTVSGAVRALPS]

She has a song called Carolina and it has great lyrics.

[@THE11thTORTUREDPOET]

14:46evermore is a great example of this

[@Nick-pl8st]

24:20 - Judy Dench performed this on the Graham Norton show. Stunning and not to be missed

[@lumi33tv]

I would really love a close reading of Taylor Swift's Tortured Poets Department