On the 19th of April Taylor Swift released her album "The Tortured Poets Department" along with its secret second part, "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology."
We have previously discussed some of the literary devices she uses in her writing, particularly her poetic style. Today, as “The Tortured Poets Department” has already smashed Spotify's record for most album streams in less than twelve hours, we've decided to delve into Swift's storytelling techniques. Let's figure out what is so special about the way she writes.
She treats her songs like actual short stories
This one might sound simple, but typically, all of her songs follow a recognizable narrative arc: exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and conclusion. The first and second verses usually establish the exposition, conflict, and rising action. Although this structure may differ slightly in each song, the bridge often plays a crucial role, serving as the climax of the story. After the bridge, we typically encounter another verse and/or the outro, which provides the falling action and conclusion.
Let's take the song “The Manuscript” as an example. In the first verse, the narrator reflects on her past romantic relationship, remembering old conversations and sweet moments. The second verse explores life after their breakup. In the bridge, time passes, and the narrator emphasizes the importance of reflecting on the past to move forward. Finally, in the last verse, she accepts the end of the love story and moves forward.
In that particular song, she also uses the ring composition. In the first verse, she says:
“Now and then she rereads the manuscript
Of the entire torrid affair”
In the last verse, she says:
“Now and then I reread the manuscript
But the story isn't mine anymore”
She uses different play-on-words to create double meanings
One of the songs within this category is called “loml”. From the chorus, we learn that the title stands for "love of my life". She sings:
“You said I'm the love of your life
About a million times”
However, in the last line of the song, we discover that the abbreviation "loml" actually has a second meaning, as the lyrics conclude with:
“And I'll still see it until I die
You're the loss of my life”
And just like that, the meaning of the abbreviation transforms, making it both beautiful and devastating at the same time, as it perfectly captures the complexity of emotions involved in love and loss.
She gives detailed descriptions instead of saying something directly
I have definitely seen this approach in creative writing books, where it is often considered more effective to convey certain meanings. In the song “The Black Dog,” instead of saying “we were close,” she writes:
“I am someone who until recent events
You shared your secrets with”
And in the song “Florida!!!,” she says:
“So I did my best to lay to rest
All of the bodies that have ever been on my body”
Instead of saying “I forgot everyone I've ever been intimate with”.
These descriptions also give the impression of reading her diary, as she frequently makes them extremely personal.
She often gives cultural and historical references
In the song “The Tortured Poets Department,” she describes the story of two artistic individuals in their relationship. She talks about their beautiful moments together, their struggles, and misunderstandings. And in the chorus, she writes:
"I laughed in your face and said
‘You're not Dylan Thomas, I'm not Patti Smith
This ain't the Chelsea Hotel, we're modern idiots’
And who's gonna hold you like me?”
Dylan Thomas was a famous poet and writer, and Patti Smith is an even more famous writer, poet, painter, and singer. Just like as many artistic people have different muses or people they look up to, the character in the song, in comparison, tells her beloved something that sounds like “we are not as cool as they are, our art is not as important, and our love story is not the same; we are only people, so let's just be together and see how it's gonna work out”.
In the other song “Cassandra,” Swift draws upon the Greek myth of the Trojan priestess who was endowed by Apollo, the God of the Sun, Light, Music, and Prophecy, with the gift of prophecy. In the myth, Cassandra refuses to reciprocate Apollo's feelings, and as a result, he ensures that no one ever believes Cassandra's predictions, despite their truth. Which is exactly what happens when she tries to foretell the fall of Troy. Swift parallels this narrative with her own life.
Through the song, we learn about some betrayal; we don't know what it is exactly, but it mirrors Cassandra's experience, where nobody believed Taylor. Despite various theories about the nature of this betrayal, they are not important in this context. What matters is the use of the myth itself to construct and convey her own story.
“So, they killed Cassandra first 'cause she feared the worst
And tried to tell the town
So, they filled my cell with snakes,
I regret to say
Do you believe me now?”
She talks directly to the audience
This device is also used in literature and sometimes referred to as “authorial intrusion” or “breaking the fourth wall.” It creates the effect of an unexpected address to the reader. This occurs in the song “But Daddy I Love Him”, where Swift describes her relationship with someone, telling in each verse how she loves him and how the whole world is against them. She uses “you,” addressing her beloved. However, it changes in the chorus.
She writes:
“I'm havin' his baby”.
Then she pauses briefly and continues:
“No, I'm not, but you should see your faces”
She changes the address “you” from her lover to the audience, which apparently does not approve of him and is a casual listener to this story.
And that immediately catches you:
omg, is she talking to me now?
She references her other songs
In her new songs, she often refers back to stories she has previously shared. It feels like reading a new chapter, enticing her fans to analyze the lyrics even more and to draw new parallels to understand the narrative further.
In the song “Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus,” she sings:
“Will that make your memory fade from this scarlet maroon?
Like it never happened”
This references her earlier song “Maroon” from the album called “Midnights”. In “Maroon,” she describes her past relationship, comparing the fading of love to the fading of bright colors. She says:
“The burgundy on my t-shirt
When you splashed your wine into me
And how the blood rushed into my cheeks
So scarlet, it was <...> marron”
So in the new song, it's almost like she's saying, “Will your memory of me fade just like my idea of what relationships should be like faded before?”
These examples demonstrate Taylor Swift's mastery of storytelling in her songwriting, which is often praised by her fans and critics.
Swift's ability to portray so powerfully emotion and narrative in her lyrics enhances her reputation not only as a musician but also as a writer!
If you haven't already, I highly recommend giving her new album a listen to experience her everything I mentioned firsthand.
