How Taylor Swift Uses Rhetorical Devices

“I write songs that are like diary entries. I have to do it to feel sane.”

Many of us write just to get it all out—and Taylor Swift is no exception. But what takes a piece of writing from diary entry to award-winning song writing? Literary devices, of course! Her work is so full of amazing gems, you could do a full rhetorical analysis on it.

In the thread below, Twitter user @chrtucci takes us through the many well-known and lesser-known writing techniques (like assonance buried in the lyrics of Taylor Swift’s greatest hits. We loved diving deeper into them and thought you would too. Enjoy!

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1. ADNOMINATION: the repetition of words with the same root in a sentence.

“That you never loved me, or her
Or anyone, or anything”
- I Knew You Were Trouble

— Christian 2 Turtle Doves-cci (@chrtucci) November 16, 2020

3. ANTANACLASIS: The repetition of a word within a phrase or sentence in which the second occurrence utilizes a different meaning from the first.

“Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes”
- Cruel Summer

— Christian 2 Turtle Doves-cci (@chrtucci) November 16, 2020

5. ASSONANCE: The repetition of similar vowel sounds in neighboring words.

“Rosé flowing with your chosen family”
- the 1

— Christian 2 Turtle Doves-cci (@chrtucci) November 16, 2020

7. EPIZEUXIS: The repeated use of a word for vehemence or emphasis, generally in the same sentence.

“We are never, ever, ever, ever getting back together. Like, ever.”
- We Are Never Getting Back Together

— Christian 2 Turtle Doves-cci (@chrtucci) November 16, 2020

9. HYPOCATASTASIS: An implied comparison or resemblance that does not directly name its referent (an implied SIMILE or METAPHOR).

“Kaleidoscope of loud heartbeats under coats”
- Welcome to New York

— Christian 2 Turtle Doves-cci (@chrtucci) November 16, 2020

11. METAPHOR: A comparison which directly relates one thing to another unrelated thing.

“Love's a fragile little flame, it could burn out”
- I Know Places

“I'm a crumpled up piece of paper lying here”
- All Too Well

“We were a fresh page on the desk"
- Cornelia Street

— Christian 2 Turtle Doves-cci (@chrtucci) November 16, 2020

13. PARALLELISM: the usage of repeating words and forms to give pattern and rhythm to a passage, either to juxtapose contrasting ideas or connect similar ideas.

“She wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts
She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers”
- You Belong With Me

— Christian 2 Turtle Doves-cci (@chrtucci) November 16, 2020

15. SARCASM: the use of verbal irony to mock, ridicule, or express contempt.

“With some indie record that's much cooler than mine”
- We Are Never Getting Back Together

— Christian 2 Turtle Doves-cci (@chrtucci) November 16, 2020

16. SIMILE: A stated comparison (usually formed with "like" or "as") between two dissimilar things.

“You call me up again just to break me like a promise”
- All Too Well

“August sipped away like a bottle of wine”
- august

— Christian 2 Turtle Doves-cci (@chrtucci) November 16, 2020

Full credit to @chrtucci for this fantastic thread.

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