Taylor Swift's "Love Story"

Taylor Swift, famous for her blend of pop and country music, is debatably the most talented and well-known female country artists of her time. Because she is so young, Swift’s most profound audience consists of teenage girls. Her youth is helpful in connecting with her audience through the lyrics and narratives in her songs. Swift’s personal experiences are used in her songs to relate to the situations ever present in the lives of other adolescent girls. Throughout “Love Story”, Taylor Swift incorporates poetic devices into the narrative in order to enhance the lyrics as a whole.

In Taylor Swift’s “Love Story”, Swift makes use of a prominent poetic device, allusion, when comparing her experience regarding love to that of Romeo and Juliet. Because they were deterred from seeing one another by their parents, Romeo and Juliet were willing to die in order to be together. By the end of the play, after being continually scolded by their parents for seeing one another, they sacrificed their own lives so that they may eternally be together. Similarly, Swift recounts the time when she was old never to see the man she. She compares her parents wishes and her undying love for this man to that of Romeo and Juliet. “That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles/And my daddy said stay away from Juliet” (Swift). Throughout the song “Love Story”, the never ceasing love of Romeo and Juliet is compared to that of Taylor Swift and the man that she loves by means of an allusion.

Alongside the prominent use of an allusion, Swift utilizes metaphors throughout the song, both standard and mixed. “Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter” (Swift). In William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo was in love with Juliet. On the contrary, the main character of “The Scarlet Letter”, Hester Prynne, had a child with her minister. There is no connection with these two works of literature, despite the fact that they both involve misfortune. A standard metaphor in the song is the comparison between Romeo and the man Swift is infatuated with. “That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles” (Swift). He was not actually Romeo, but someone who was calling her attention.

Anther poetic device that is important to the lyrics is hyperbole. The love story of Romeo and Juliet, as is written in the play, is tragic and ends in the death of both characters. Therefore, the exaggeration, that is hyperbole, is essential in the song to allude to this catastrophe. “But you were everything to me/I was begging you please don’t go” (Swift). Taylor Swift embellishes on her love for her Romeo figure by claiming that he means the world to her. Likewise, when describing the fact that she is going against the adamant wishes of her parents, Swift says that they would be “dead if [her parents] knew” (Swift). Hyperbole is necessary in the lyrics to exaggerate the harsh reality of Swift’s love and the restrictions that entail.

Imagery is a prominent aspect in the lyrics throughout Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” and is exploited in order to create a variety of illustrations in the minds of the listeners. At the beginning of the song, after flashing back to the time where she met her love, Swift recalls seeing “the lights… the party, the ball gowns” and seeing him “make [his] way through the crowd/And say hello” (Swift). Similarly, toward the end of the song, Swift remembers the time when the love of her life proposed to her. “He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring” (Swift). By using descriptive language, Swift is able to evoke an image in the imagination of the listener. Also, the audience members that have been in similar situations are able to connect with the song and the circumstances.

Other poetic devices that are intertwined within the song include euphony, epic universal relevance, and characterization. Euphony is employed in “Love Story” in order to connect with the senses of the audience. “I’m standing there/On a balcony in summer air” (Swift). Because summer is described in the lyrics, happiness is evoked within the listeners. A topic that is relevant to many people around the world is made use of in “Love Story”. “This love is difficult, but it’s real” (Swift). Because heartbreak and struggle in love are familiar in society today, the topic is applicable to the audience. Finally, Swift makes use of characterization in the lyrics “I love you and that’s all I really know” (Swift). By describing her Romeo figure in this way, Swift portrays his dedication and love to her.

Overall, Taylor Swift’s elegant use of poetic devices enhances the lyrics of “Love Story”. The allusion to William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” adds to the song by creating a comparison in the minds of the listeners. In the same way, imagery is employed to appeal to the senses of the audience. Numerous other poetic devices, including hyperbole, euphony, epic universal relevance, and characterization, are applied in order to augment the narrative. All in all, Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” can be viewed as unique in the genre of country music based on Swift’s use of poetic devices to develop the narrative within the song.

Theme-Genre Declaration

For my theme-genre combination, I've chosen to do love in modern country music. I did not always listen to country music, but recently, I have been listening to country music more often. Country music has become one of the most popular genres on my Ipod because it has so many varieties. In this theme-genre combination, modern music encompasses all music from the twenty-first century. In modern country music, a majority of the music focuses on love. Therefore, this genre will leave many options for songs and poetic devices.

Brad Paisley's "Then"

Throughout his career in the music industry, Brad Paisley has been known for his southern twang and country style. With inspiration from previous experiences, Paisley is able to connect with his songs and audiences while writing and singing. Paisley is often viewed as the most talented singers of his generation because of his individuality and thoughtful lyrics. Similar to his incredible singing and song writing abilities, Paisley plays the guitar with much proficiency and talent, and his acoustic expertise is displayed in a number of his works. Brad Paisley’s song “Then” includes numerous poetic devices while illustrating and narrating the story of how they met and fell in love.

The narration of this love story is ever present in the song. Paisley begins by describing when he met his love, and ends the song by illustrating what the future will bring. Brad recalls meeting his future wife and how he had to continually remind himself “…not to stare the night that [he] first met [her]” (Paisley, 1). Towards the completion of the song, Paisley predicts what the future will hold; including marriage, children, and growing old together. “I could just see you, with a baby on the way/And I could just see you, when your hair is turning gray” (Paisley, 26-27). Brad Paisley uses previous situations in his life to add meaning to the lyrics, and the narration is cohesive in the song.

Throughout the narration, Paisley questions how he could possibly love his wife more than he does currently and characterizes her as being without flaws or imperfections. “What I can’t see is how I’m ever gonna love you more/But I’ve said that before” (Paisley, 28-29). Characterization is essential throughout the song and drastically augments the narration. Due to his infatuation with his wife, Paisley describes her as being his “whole life” (Paisley, 7) and his “whole world” (Paisley, 8). Paisley creates a direct comparison between his wife and his world, implying that they are one. Similarly, he states that there love for one another is as strong as when “a river meets the sea” (Paisley, 10), using a simile to develop his thought. All through the song, Brad Paisley describes the love of his life and the high regard that he has for her.

Brad Paisley utilizes such poetic devices as hyperbole and alliteration to enhance the lyrics and to add to the cohesive narration. When describing their first date, Paisley exaggerates the situation by adding that it took “forty-five minutes to kiss goodnight” (Paisley, 4). By doing so, Paisley convinces the audience that he was already aware that this woman was the love of his life and that he never wanted to be separated from her. On several occasions throughout the song, alliteration is used to enhance the flow of the lyrics. “Now you’re my whole world” (Paisley, 8). Also, alliteration is helpful in the dramatization of words and with the affect that the lyrics have on the audience.

Brad Paisley creates a variety of illustrations in the minds of the listeners by using imagery throughout the song “Then”. “There were people around, but I didn’t care/Got down on one knee right there” (Paisley, 16-17). Because the song narrates his life while he is in love, imagery is essential to the lyrics. Similarly, when describing his first date with his wife, Paisley uses imagery when saying that they stood “in the front porch light” (Paisley, 3) while they were saying goodnight. Throughout the song, imagery is used to appeal to the senses of the audience and to create images in their minds.

All in all, Brad Paisley’s “Then” tastefully utilizes poetic devices, which add to the song as a whole. Being a narration, imagery has to be throughout to enhance to story line. In this case, Paisley improves the song with the images and poetic devices that are employed. “Then” can be read as a narrative poem, recounting how Brad fell in love with his wife and what their future may entail. Focusing on the greater extent of music, Brad Paisley’s “Then” separates itself from the numerous narrative love stories in the industry, and can be appreciated as a one-of-a-kind work.