Taylor Swift might write songs about having “Blank Space,” but that is the opposite of how her journal looks at home. Swift’s mind is filled with poetic genius, and students and staff at NKU are enthralled by her lyrics in the form of literature. 

NKU Professor Donelle Dreese offers a special topics course in the English Department called “The Poetry of Taylor Swift” that compares poet laureates to the pop star’s songs. 

“We look closely at the lyrics, themes and styles and poetic techniques that [Swift] uses and then we compare those lyrics with other literary works,” said Dreese. 

Dreese prepared the course for a full six months because she had never taught anything like this before. While Dreese was planning the course, the singer-songwriter announced the title of her new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” on Feb. 4, 2024. 

Dreese thought to herself, “Well isn’t this lucky. Somehow this is going to work really well.”

Students of all different majors take Dreese’s course for a variety of reasons. Students’ areas of study in the course include women’s and gender studies, journalism, English, electronic media and broadcasting and more.

“She is one of the greatest lyricists I have ever known. The way that she writes is very poetic and deep rooted in emotions, feelings, colors, imagery. Tying her work into other works of poetry was a no-brainer,” said a student in the class, Kayla Lucas.

An example of a book and song comparison that is compared in class is “The Other,” a poem by Edward Thomas, and “illicit affairs” and “The Manuscript” songs by Swift.

No matter what major, the students in the course have the ability to share how the lyrics in Swift’s music or the lines in the poems and works of literature make them feel and how they see the connection between the two. 

“It definitely has opened my eyes to see her music in a literary way. One time we took a quiz on whether or not the line was a Taylor Swift lyric or a Shakespeare quote,” said student Rachel Little. 

One book that Dreese chose to compare to Swift’s work is Sylvia Plath’s, “Ariel.” Plath is a poet from the 20th century who had a confessional writing style. Plath wrote on topics such as sexuality, suicide and trauma. 

“Confessional poets wrote in direct, colloquial speech rhythms and used images that reflected intense psychological experiences, often culled from childhood or battles with mental illness or breakdown. They tended to utilize sequences, emphasizing connections between poems,” according to the Poetry Foundation. 

Plath’s work is connected to the Confessional Movement which began in the 1950s and ended in the 1960s. The movement honed in on writers saying the word “I” and their work becoming autobiographical with a vulnerable element. 

Swift does the same. Although many artists today write autobiographical songs and lyrics, Swift’s compare directly to Plath’s poetry and many other poets such as Anne Sexton (compared to Swift’s “Reputation” album) through confessional writing. 

Plath and Sexton both wrote in a way that women hadn’t written before. Sexton wrote about the stereotype that she faced in her life, the connection of a woman to the titles of wife and mother. 

Swift is writing to fight the same battles they were. 

“The underlying message is still the same to this day. Especially about women’s empowerment and women’s rights in the 60s. We’re now in 2024 and we’ve come a long way, but at the end of the day we are still fighting that same battle,” said Lucas. 

Dreese teaches her course about how “The Eras Tour” performer has taken the techniques of famous literary works and uses it in her own songs to develop an emotional and relatable connection to her audience. 

“When Swift talks about Dylan Thomas and Patti Smith to a bunch of listeners who don’t know who they are, the listeners look them up and read them. Swift is doing a great job at educating people about literature,” said Dreese.

Through a connection to the Grammy award-winning artist, Dreese’s course has helped a generation of students understand how poetry is in our everyday lives, and how beautiful and important it can be. Poetry is writing with emotion and doing so in a rhythmic way. Artists such as Lana Del Rey, Stevie Nicks and John Lennon are all considered poets. 

“Poetry doesn’t have to be scary or intimidating. Just let your thoughts flow. I think that’s what I have learned from this. You can make really great poetry just from a simple confession,” said Lucas.