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Transcendentalism in Taylor Swift's Music |"The Lakes," "Opalite" & More | Literary Analysis

April 15 · 49 min · Episode 125 · 47.3 MB
0:00-49:17

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"Take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die." What's an AP class without a not-so-brief discussion about touching grass? In honor of Earth Day, we're exploring Transcendentalism — the 19th-century movement that said the divine lives in nature, not in dusty pews — and finding it everywhere in Taylor Swift's music. Jenn returns to "the lakes" (folklore, 2020) and pairs it with Ralph Waldo Emerson's foundational essay Nature to explore how Taylor's retreat from society mirrors the transcendentalist search for truth in the natural world. Maansi takes on "Bigger Than the Whole Sky" (Midnights, 2022), tracing its imagery and cosmic grief through themes of universal divinity and interconnectedness. And Jodi brings "Opalite" (The Life of a Showgirl, 2025) to pose a question: is this song an acceptance of transcendentalism — or a rejection of it? Dust off your Emerson, lace up your hiking boots, and get ready to go touch grass with us.

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Mentioned in this episode:

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Episode Highlights:

[00:30] Introduction to Transcendentalism 

[08:29] "the lakes,” folklore

[18:28] "Bigger Than the Whole Sky," Midnights

[30:16] "Opalite” The Life of a Showgirl

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This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.