Harvard Students Analyze Taylor Swift’s New Album in English Class
Fans of Taylor Swift are known for their dedication to analyzing the singer’s lyrics and uncovering hidden meanings in her songs. But at Harvard University, a group of students took their study of Ms. Swift to a whole new level by dedicating an entire English class to her work.
Undergraduate students at Harvard are currently enrolled in a course titled “Taylor Swift and Her World,” taught by Stephanie Burt. In this class, students compare Taylor Swift’s songs to works by renowned poets and writers such as Willa Cather, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and William Wordsworth.
Recently, about 50 students from the class gathered in a lecture hall on campus to listen to Taylor Swift’s new album. The atmosphere was electric as they eagerly awaited the release of the album at midnight. Mary Pankowski, a senior studying history of art and architecture, even wore a sweatshirt she bought at Ms. Swift’s Eras tour last year to celebrate the occasion.
As the students listened to the album, certain lines immediately caught their attention and sparked discussions. References to other artists like Charlie Puth and poignant lyrics in songs like “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” and “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” prompted deep analysis and reflection.
Some students stayed up until the early hours of the morning, eagerly awaiting additional music from Ms. Swift. Their dedication paid off when they were rewarded with an additional “volume” of 15 tracks called “The Anthology.”
In a video call with The New York Times, students from the class shared their thoughts on the new songs and brainstormed ideas for their final papers, which are due at the end of the month. They drew parallels between Taylor Swift’s lyrics and works of literature, such as comparing the song “Clara Bow” to Willa Cather’s novel “The Song of the Lark.”
One student, Lola DeAscentiis, even drew comparisons between Taylor Swift’s song “But Daddy I Love Him” and Sylvia Plath’s poem “Daddy,” exploring themes of sadness, depression, and mental health in her analysis.
Overall, the students in the class delved deep into Taylor Swift’s music, examining her lyrics with the same level of scrutiny as they would a classic work of literature. As they continue to dissect the album and write their final papers, it’s clear that Taylor Swift’s music has sparked a new wave of literary analysis at Harvard University.
