4/24/2023

TAYLOR -SHAKESPEARE- SWIFT : LITERARY HONOURS





Sir Jonathan Bate feels that the singer is a ' literary ' giant. The scholar compares Swift to Shakespeare.

Renowned scholar Sir Jonathan Bate, a former Shakespeare professor at Warwick University has praised Taylor Swift's talent as a poet and compared her to some of history's greatest writers, including William Shakespeare.

In an article ' Why Taylor Swift is a Literary Giant ' for The Sunday Times Magazine, Sir Jonathan analyzed the pop star's '' literary sensibility '' that was evident from her debut album.

Sir Jonathan, who had '' one of the best nights of his life ' at one of Swift's concerts, reflected upon how she has been influenced by Shakespeare. He examined how Swift had succeeded in ''rewriting his darker moments'' to make them '' more palatable '', citing her song Love Story as an example.

''Listening to her lyrics, which most of the rapturous [ mainly female ] audience seemed to know by heart, I came away with confirmation of a thought I first had 15 years ago : this isn't just highclass showbiz, Taylor Swift is a real poet,'' he wrote.

Swift's reference to Shakespeare were evident in the song : '' You were Romeo, you were thrown pebbles / And my daddy said, '' Stay away from Juliet'.''  

Sir Jonathan lauded the singer's ability to change and adapt Shakespearean themes for contemporary audiences.

He even admitted using Swift's debut album Fearless to teach kids at Warwick how Shakespeare had been adapted over the years. He also highlighted Swift's reference to other literary giants, including Ernest Hemingway, Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson.

He concluded his article by sharing that while he was not yet ready to compare Swift to Bob Dylan, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, he believed that her potential was limitless.

''The enduring advocacy of the distinguished critic Professor Sir Christopher Ricks eventually won Bob Dylan the Nobel Prize in Literature. I'm not sure I would yet go that far for Taylor Swift, but watch this space,'' he concluded.

Swift, who has sold over 200 million records worldwide, is one of the most successful musicians in history. 

She is the most streamed woman on Spotify and the only artist to have five albums with more than 1 million copies sold in the US.

Sir Jonathan's article has sparked a debate about the role of popular culture in contemporary literature, and many are now viewing Swift's music through literary lens.

The World Students Society thanks News Desk /  The Express Tribune.

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