The Swiftie and The Scholar
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The 80s Club Vibes of New Romantics
After all the talk about Romanticism in the last episode, we?re taking it to the New Romantics this week. Uncle Jerry teaches us all about the sociocultural movement of the late 1970s and 1980s called New Romanticism, featuring The Blitz Kids, the London club scene, and all the fun and freedom of the era.
Works Cited:
Sweet Dreams: The Story of the New Romantics ? Dylan Jones ? Aff Link
Best of New Romantics ? Spotify Playlist
Heartbreak Is the National Anthem ? Rob Sheffield ? Aff Link
Taylor Swift?s Manuscripts ? Natali Barbani
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The Romanticism of The Lakes
We are letting Taylor Swift take us to the lakes today! These are the lyrics Angela used to convince Uncle Jerry to do this podcast, and his analysis does not disappoint. Come with us to learn all about Romanticism, The Lakes Poets, and how Taylor expertly weaves those two into this poem.
Works Cited:
Lyrical Ballads ? William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge ? Aff Link
Sense and Sensibility ? Jane Austen ? Aff Link
The Last of the Mohicans ? 1992
Tales from Shakespeare ? Charles Lamb and Mary Lamb
The Lake Isle of Innisfree ? William Butler Yeats
Sonnets from the Portuguese 20: Beloved, my Beloved, when I think ? Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Sonnets from the Portuguese ? Elizabeth Barrett Browning ? Full Book Aff Link
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love ? Christopher Marlowe
Aurora Leigh ? Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Frankenstein ? Mary Shelley ? Aff Link
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud ? William Wordsworth
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The Fairytale Diction of Enchanted
We are finally covering a song from Speak Now! I?m so sorry to all the Speak Now stans that it took this long, but we got here. Uncle Jerry takes us through Taylor?s word choice throughout Enchanted, and how it reveals the specific fairy tale inspiration behind the song. Angela explains the lore of this being Taylor?s only completely self-written album and the moment that inspired the song.
Works Cited:
Smiling Faces Sometimes ? The Undisputed Truth
We Wear the Mask ? Paul Laurence Dunbar
Some Enchanted Evening ? South Pacific
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The Gothic Tradition of The Black Dog
In this episode, we dig into one of most requested songs of late, The Black Dog. Taylor Swift mentioned in an interview that no one really understood this song, so we got Uncle Jerry on the case. Tune in to hear his take!
Works Cited:
Roland Barthes ? The Death of The Author
She Walks in Beauty ? Lord Byron
The Hound of the Baskervilles ? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ? Aff Link
The Malleus Maleficarum ? Heinrich Kramer, James Sprenger ? Aff Link
For The Love of London Pubs ? Doug Harper, Vic Norman, Andie Lafrentz ? Aff Link
The Pub: A Cultural Institution ? Pete Brown ? Aff Link
Of Mice and Men ? John Steinbeck ? Aff Link
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The Loss of Youth and Innocence in Peter
Well friends, I think we did it. Stay all the way to the end for a big surprise out of Uncle Jerry.
In this episode, we're covering one of Angela's favorite TTPD tracks, Peter. Uncle Jerry finds layer after layer in the poem, and decides that this is a beautiful, melancholic reflection on the loss of innocence and youth, told through the lens of Peter Pan.
Works Cited:
Peter Pan - the Original 1911 Classic ? J.M. Barrie ? Aff Link
Illustrated Peter Pan: Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens ? J.M. Barrie ? Aff Link
I'm sorry for the Dead?Today ? Emily Dickinson
This Is Just To Say ? William Carlos Williams
In Just ? Spring ? e.e. cummings
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening ? Robert Frost
Love's Labor's Lost ? William Shakespeare
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The Traditional Tropes of Love Story
We?re taking it back to high school this week and exploring the country phenomenon that is Love Story. This is our first track from Fearless (2008), and Uncle Jerry explores all of the themes and tropes that are missing from the poem when compared to her current work, like complex metaphors and twisted idioms.
Works Cited:
Romeo and Juliet ? William Shakespeare ? Affiliate Link
Let Us Live and Love (5) ? Catullus
The Scarlet Letter ? Nathaniel Hawthorne ? Aff Link
Doctor Zhivago ? Boris Pasternak ? Aff Link
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The Cinematic Imagery of Father Figure
Step into our office and leave it with us. We protect the family! Join us as we walk through Father Figure from The Life of a Showgirl. Uncle Jerry gives his theories on the inspiration for the song, including many different movies, and Angela works out where she thinks the narrator changes mid-track.
Pour yourself some brown liquor and you won?t be sleeping with the fishes.
Works Cited:
A Star is Born ? All Versions Ranked
Ragged Dick: The 1868 Classic Rags to Riches Tale ? Horatio Alger ? Affiliate Link
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The Reinterpretation of The Fate of Ophelia
We have officially entered our Showgirl era, and we?re kicking it off with The Fate of Ophelia. Uncle Jerry teaches us all about Ophelia?s role in Hamlet, one of the Ophelia paintings Taylor may have drawn inspiration from, and a couple of feminist critics? takes on Ophelia.
We then get into the song, Angela weaves in a few nuggets of Tay-lore, and they round it out by discussing the feminist issues with the track, watching the music video and listening to the voice memo of the writing of the song.
Works Cited:
Hamlet ? William Shakespeare ? Affiliate Link
Hearing Ophelia: Gender and Tragic Discourse in "Hamlet" ? Sandra K. Fischer
The Story of Ophelia ? The Tate
Pre-Raphaelite Women ? Jan Marsh
Dante Gabriel Rossetti ? Ash Russell
The Essential Pre-Raphaelites ? Lucinda Hawksley ? Aff Link
The Language of Flowers ? Margaret Pickston ? Aff Link
The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady ? Edith Holden ? Aff Link
The King?s Two Bodies ? Ernst Kantorowicz ? Aff Link
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The Sensory Imagery of Maroon
We are wiping the incense dust off the shelf and picking ourselves up off the floor with Maroon this week. This Midnights track from 2022 is full of imagery, senses, colors, and so much more. Uncle Jerry also surprises us all with an interpretation from left field, which allows Angela the space to explain a specific sect of swifties.
Enjoy!
Works Cited:
Richard Wright ? Black American novelist
Robert Frost ? The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost ? Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening
Lawrence Ferlinghetti ? American Beat poet
Gregory Corso ? American Beat poet
Jack Kerouac ? American Beat poet
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The Growth and Healing of Clean
We?re coming down from our Showgirl high, and taking it back to 1989 this week. Uncle Jerry takes us through Clean, and breaks down the metaphors and themes found in the poem, including addiction, healing, personal growth, and personal agency.
He also asks Angela who this song was inspired by, and admits that he?s now wondering about that in all of these songs. :)
There are links below to (most of!) the recommended literature from the episode. Some links are affiliate links, which means if you click and purchase, we will make a small commission at no cost to you.
Works Cited:
Metaphors We Live By ? George Lakoff and Mark Johnson
The Great War and Modern Memory ? Paul Fussell
Not Waving but Drowning ? Stevie Smith
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BONUS: The Release Party of A Showgirl Recap
The Swiftie and The Scholar took a field trip to the movie theater this weekend to hang out with Taylor and the Swifties! This was Uncle Jerry's first in-person swiftie experience, and he gives us his thoughts, along with his first impressions of a few of the new tracks.
Angela gives her first impressions on the album and discusses which songs the podcast will cover first.
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Answering Your Questions - Volume 1
In this episode, Uncle Jerry and Angela get caught up on the latest Swiftie news, including the engagement and The Release Party of a Showgirl, and then they get into answering your questions from Instagram and TikTok. We cover poetry curriculum, how to get into scholarly pursuits, how Angela convinced Uncle Jerry to do the podcast, and how we select which songs we cover.
There are links below to (most of!) the recommended literature from the episode. Some links are affiliate links, which means if you click and purchase, we will make a small commission at no cost to you.
Works Cited:
i carry your heart with me ? e.e. cummings
The Hornblower Series ? C.S. Forester
Mr. Midshipman Hornblower (Book 1) ? C.S. Forester
The Good Shepherd ? C.S. Forester
2001: A Space Odyssey ? Arthur C. Clarke
Stranger in a Strange Land Paperback ? Robert A. Heinlein
The Little Prince ? Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The Oxford Book of Modern Verse ? W.B. Yeats
The Oxford Book of English Verse ? Christopher Ricks
The Norton Anthology of American Literature ? Robert S. Levine
E. E. Cummings: Complete Poems, 1904?1962
The Collected Poems of Wallace Stevens: The Corrected Edition
Leaves of Grass ? Walt Whitman
Metaphors We Live By ? George Lakoff and Mark Johnson
Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair ? Pablo Neruda
The Poet and His Book: The Collected Poems of Edna St. Vincent Millay
The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson
The Complete Poems: Anne Sexton
The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth-Century American Poetry Paperback ? Rita Dove
American Poetry: The Twentieth Century, Volume 1: Henry Adams to Dorothy Parker ? Robert Hass
The Oxford Book of American Short Stories ? Joyce Carol Oates
A Cool Million Paperback ? Nathanael West
Lucky Jim Paperback ? Kingsley Amis
Cold Comfort Farm Paperback ? Stella Gibbons
The Old Curiosity Shop ? Charles Dickens
Nicholas Nickleby ? Charles Dickens
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The Many Literary Themes of All Too Well
Come walk through the door with us, cause the air is getting cooooold. Our 10th episode is here, and we were hoping you had 10 minutes to spare for this one.
We are digging deep into the All Too Well universe, and Uncle Jerry compares both the original version and the 10 minute version, what he thinks about the lyrics that were redacted for the edited version, and Taylor Swift?s masterful use of metaphor and other literary devices in every line of this song.
Works Cited:
The Prelude ? William Wordsworth ? Affiliate Link
Orality and Literacy ? Walter J. Ong ? Aff Link
Metaphors We Live By ? George Lakoff and Mark Johnson ? Aff Link
In Just ? Spring ? e.e. Cummings
Let me not to the marriage of true minds (Sonnet 116) ? William Shakespeare
A Rose for Emily ? William Faulkner
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The Rhythmic Power of Champagne Problems
Dom Perignon, did you bring it?
Today we?re toasting to Champagne Problems from Taylor Swift?s 2020 album, evermore. Uncle Jerry discusses the different meter used throughout the lyrics, and also wonders if there?s a deeper meaning with society?s expectations and the narrator?s autonomy throughout the story.
Angela brings up the Swiftie discussion about which word they?ll never say again, and they also tell the story of Uncle Jerry officiating Angela?s wedding.
Works Cited:
Take the A Train ? Duke Ellington
Anapest Disnarration and the Unmentioned in Fact and Fiction ? Marina Lambrou ? Affiliate Link
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The Self-Reflection of Getaway Car
Today we?re putting the money in the bag and stealing the keys, and discussing Taylor Swift?s Getaway Car from 2017. This cult Swiftie fave is our first track from Reputation, and Angela chose it because she knew Uncle Jerry would love the Dickens reference in the first line.
Watch as the duo dissects each line, and Uncle Jerry picks up on the self-reflection Taylor wrote into the song.
Works Cited:
A Tale of Two Cities ? Charles Dickens ? Affiliate Link
Shades of Gray ? Carolyn Reeder ? Aff Link
Nicholas Nickleby ? Charles Dickens ? Aff Link
Getaway Car Shirt ? Girl Tribe Co.
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The Complex Poetics of So Long, London
Let's talk through So Long, London!
In this episode of The Swiftie and The Scholar, Uncle Jerry and Angela dissect the poetic lyrics of the fifth track from Taylor Swift's 2024 album, The Tortured Poets Department.
They find tons of literary devices and references, and Uncle Jerry even makes another correct prediction on the song's intro.
Stay until the end to hear Uncle Jerry's grade for the song as a whole.
Works Cited:
Life of Johnson ? James Boswell ? Affiliate Link
Perrine?s Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry ? Aff Link
Will-o?-the-wisp ? Irish Folklore
The Bluest Eye ? Toni Morrison ? Aff Link
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The Diction Study of Cold As You
In this episode of The Swiftie and The Scholar, Angela and Uncle Jerry are taking it waaayyy back to 2006 with Taylor Swift?s first ever track 5, Cold As You. It might seem like a weird choice, but Angela wanted to present Uncle Jerry with some of Taylor?s earliest work so he could gain context around her growth as an artist over her entire career.
Uncle Jerry finds a few redeeming qualities in the song, and together they explore other break-up poetry from the greats.
Works Cited:
Modern Love: I ? George Meredith Sonnet
It?s Not You, It?s Me ? Jerry Williams ? Affiliate Link
The Research Society for Victorian Periodicals
A Broken Appointment ? Thomas Hardy
The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson ? Aff Link
Heart! We will forget him! ? Emily Dickinson
I held a Jewel in my fingers ? Emily Dickinson
Eras Tour Surprise Song ? Houston
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The Indirect Characterization of Death By A Thousand Cuts
In this episode of The Swiftie and The Scholar, Uncle Jerry and Angela analyze Death By A Thousand Cuts from Taylor Swift's 2019 album, Lover.
Uncle Jerry finds literary devices aplenty in the lyrics, and discusses how she uses those devices to deftly handle the storytelling in the poem via indirect characterization.
They also discuss the roundabout inspiration of this song and the Swiftie tradition of friendship bracelets.
Works Cited:
A Midsummer Night?s Dream ? Shakespeare ? Affiliate Link
Death By A Thousand Cuts ? Timothy Brook, Jérôme Bourgon, Gregory Blue ? Aff Link
Great Expectations ? Charles Dickens ? Aff Link
Kyn You Believe It ? IDK Traffic Light
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BONUS: Ramblings on The Life of A Showgirl
In this bonus episode, Uncle Jerry and Angela discuss the excitement of the last week, including the cryptic Taylor Nation and New Heights posts, the countdowns, the new album announcement, and the two hour podcast episode heard 'round the world.
Uncle Jerry teaches us a little bit about Ophelia and Hamlet to give some context around the album's opening track title, The Fate of Ophelia, and they discuss how Uncle Jerry got just a lilllll excited about the news.
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The Dramatic Monologue of Cowboy Like Me
In this episode of The Swiftie and The Scholar, Angela asks Uncle Jerry about his favorite music before they dive into cowboy like me from Taylor Swift?s 2020 album evermore.
Uncle Jerry teaches us about the dramatic monologue and how Taylor uses this device in the song. They also talk about the use of cliches, indeterminate endings, and they discuss whether they think the couple in the song ends up together or not.
Works Cited:
Georgia on my Mind ? Hoagy Carmichael
My Last Duchess ? Robert Browning
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The Faith Crisis of Would've Could've Should've
In this episode of The Swiftie and The Scholar, Uncle Jerry and Angela dissect Would?ve Could?ve Should?ve from Taylor Swift?s 2022 album Midnights. They briefly discuss their own church connections, explore the various religious imagery and references used throughout the song, and come to understand that they relate to the song in similar but different ways.
Uncle Jerry grades the song and brings in some poetry by Elizabeth Barrett Browning to round out his thoughts on the sadness of the track.
Works Cited:
Rhetorical Theory and Practice
Immortal Technique ? Dance with the Devil
Sonnets from the Portuguese ? Elizabeth Barrett Browning ? Affiliate Link
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The Monstrous Femininity of Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?
Uncle Jerry and Angela tackle Taylor Swift?s ?Who?s Afraid of Little Old Me?? in the second episode of The Swiftie and The Scholar. Uncle Jerry talks about his journey from hate to appreciation of this track, he introduces the concept of Monstrous Femininity, and they talk about the cultural image of the witch throughout history.
Angela gives a (not so) brief look into her role as a Swiftie, and they watch and discuss both the lyric video and the Eras Tour performance of this TTPD track.
Works Cited:
Chatterton ? Painting by Henry Wallis
Dylan Thomas ? Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night
Snoweylily ? Who?s Afraid of Little Old Me?
To Kill a Mockingbird ? Harper Lee ? Affiliate Link
The Monstrous-Feminine ? Barbara Creed ? Affiliate Link
Who?s Afraid of Little Old Me? ? Official Lyric Video
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The Folklore Elements of My Tears Ricochet
In the debut episode of The Swiftie and The Scholar, Angela McDow, the Swiftie, and her uncle Dr. Jerry Coats, the Scholar, dig into My Tears Ricochet, the fifth track from Taylor Swift's Folklore album.
They discuss the different folklore elements that Taylor uses in the song, the prevailing fan theory on the song's inspiration, and Uncle Jerry watches his first Eras Tour performance.
Works Cited:
Morphology of the Folktale ? V. Propp ? Affiliate Link
Motif-Index of Folk-Literature; Volume 6.1 Index (A-K) ? Stith Thompson ? Aff Link
Motif-Index of Folk-Literature; Volume 6.1 Index (L-Z) - Stith Thompson ? Aff Link
From the Beast to The Blonde ? Marina Wariner
The Uses of Enchantment ? Bruno Bettelheim ? Aff Link
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