Often seen as Swift’s true breakup album, Red has achieved cult classic status-much like Bluets. Though Red takes inspiration from a different primary hue, the two works of art explore heartache and longing through the same type of metaphor system. “Suppose I were to begin by saying that I had fallen in love with a color,” Nelson muses in her lyrical essay collection Bluets. Mayrock describes Dear Girl as a journey from “girlhood to womanhood,” a complex, emotional transition that mirrors Speak Now. There’s “Never Grow Up,” which speaks to a mix of loneliness and freedom upon moving out of a childhood home, and the epic “Dear John,” which chronicles a first adult experience with heartbreak. Speak Now can be interpreted as Swift’s true coming of age album. Disenchantments does the same, retelling Snow White, Rapunzel, and more in new, creative ways.ģ. The Romeo and Juliet influence on “Love Story,” the allusions to classic tropes on “White Horse,” and her music video aesthetic throughout this era all play with modern interpretations of classic storytelling. Fearless and Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetryįearless is Taylor Swift at the height of her iconic fairy tale imagery. The pickup truck on “Picture to Burn” and Georgia sky on “Tim McGraw” channel similar landscapes.Ģ.

In No Place Like Home: Notes from a Western Life, Hasselstrom writes about small-town ranch living. Taylor Swift shows the accomplished singer at her newcomer beginnings, back when country twang laced every tune. Taylor Swift and No Place Like Home: Notes from a Western Life by Linda M. These eight poetry collections connect to the imagery and lyricism of her albums.ġ. In fact, Swift has written original poetry as part of several album releases, as well as referenced William Wordsworth and Emily Dickinson on folklore and evermore, respectively.

From “dorothea,” an exercise in voice, characterization, and fictional storytelling, to the emotional highs and lows of “champagne problems,” many tracks on the record have garnered comparisons to poetry. With the release of Taylor Swift’s ninth studio album, evermore, the multi-genre musician has further cemented herself as a star songwriter.

Wild Embers by Nikita Gill