JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department In Summation: Check Out Full Prologue Poem HERE
Uncover Taylor Swift's poetic journey in The Tortured Poets Department prologue poem and delve into the emotional depth of her latest album.
Taylor Swift's musical odyssey has always been a deeply personal narrative, closely following her experiences of love, heartbreak, and resilience. With the release of her eleventh studio album, The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD), Swift once again invites listeners into her world of raw emotion and introspection. However, this album is not just about the music; it's about the intricate prologue that sets the stage for Swift's poetic exploration of her own life and relationships.
Taylor Swift on her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department
When Taylor Swift announced her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, at the Grammys earlier this year, fans were eager to catch a glimpse of what awaited them. Swift teased them with what appeared to be song lyrics, only to reveal later that they were the concluding lines of a poignant poem titled, In Summation. These lines offered a preview of the emotional depth that awaited listeners in her album.
In The Tortured Poets Department, Swift unravels the threads of her heart, weaving a tapestry of emotions that range from longing to anger to heartbreak. Each song serves as a chapter in her personal saga, exploring the complexities of love, frustration and the scars it leaves behind. Swift's vulnerability shines through as she navigates the aftermath of her relationships, laying bare her innermost thoughts and feelings.
During her tour stop in Melbourne, Swift opened up about the significance of The Tortured Poets Department, revealing that she had poured her heart and soul into the songwriting process like never before. She shared, as retrieved via PEOPLE, “It was really a lifeline for me — just the things that I was going through, the things that I was writing about ... it kind of reminded me why songwriting actually gets me through my life. I've never had an album that I needed songwriting more than I needed it on Tortured Poets."
Deciphering Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department prologue poem
At the heart of The Tortured Poets Department lies its elaborate prologue, a poetic reflection on Swift's journey of love and self-discovery. The prologue serves as a prelude to the album, setting the stage for the emotional rollercoaster that awaits listeners.
In this prologue, Swift reflects on a tumultuous relationship that left her feeling "restricted" and "caged." She alludes to her brief romance with musician Matty Healy after her breakup with longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn, describing it as a whirlwind of emotions that ultimately ended in heartbreak. There is a poem in Swift's writing that is followed by Stevie Nicks’s work, as retrieved via Capital, where he talked about an incompatible relationship with a heartbroken girl. Read out the full prologue below:
At this hearing
I stand before my fellow members of the Tortured Poets Department
With a summary of my findings
A debrief, a detailed rewinding
For the purpose of warning
For the sake of reminding
As you might all unfortunately recall
I had been struck with a case of a restricted humanity
Which explains my plea here today of temporary insanity
You see, the pendulum swings
Oh, the chaos it brings
Leads the caged beast to do the most curious things
Lovers spend years denying what’s ill fated
Resentment rotting away galaxies we created
Stars placed and glued meticulously by hand next to the ceiling fan
Tried wishing on comets
Tried dimming the shine
Tried to orbit his planet
Some stars never align
And in one conversation, I tore down the whole sky
Spring sprung forth with dazzling freedom hues
Then a crash from the skylight
Bursting through
Something old, someone hallowed, who told me he could be brand new
And so I was out of the oven
And into the microwave
Out of the slammer and into a tidal wave
How gallant to save the empress from her gilded tower
Swinging a sword he could barely lift
But loneliness struck at that fateful hour
Low hanging fruit on his wine stained lips
He never even scratched the surface of me
None of them did
“In summation, it was not a love affair!”
I screamed while bringing my fists to my coffee ringed desk
It was a mutual manic phase
It was self harm
It was house and then cardiac arrest
A smirk creeps onto this poet’s face
Because it’s the worst men that I write best
And so I enter into evidence
My tarnished coat of arms
My muses, acquired like bruises
My talismans and charms
The tick, tick, tick of love bombs
My veins of pitch black ink
All’s fair in love and poetry
Sincerely, The Chairman of The Tortured Poets Department
The prologue culminates in a powerful declaration of self-awareness and resilience. Swift embraces her identity as a tortured poet, acknowledging that it is often the darkest moments of her life that inspire her best work. The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD) was released on April 19, 2024, via Republic Records.
FAQs
Latest Articles
