From Metaphor to Motif: Taylor Swift’s Literary Devices (Full List With Examples)

Literary devices are techniques, structures, and methods used by writers to convey meaning, evoke emotion, and enhance the audience’s experience. 

These devices range from basic elements of storytelling, like plot and character, to more complex tools like metaphor, irony, and symbolism. 

Though Taylor Swift writes songs and not literature, she is still a master of literary and poetic devices, and uses them to her advantage.

Here are the tools she uses to help her write compelling, meaningful narratives, with examples for each device.

Storytelling Devices: Crafting the Narrative

Here are the literary devices used to craft the structure of a story, and how Taylor uses them.

Exposition 

When the narrator provides background information to help the reader understand what is going on. This usually comes in the first few lines in Taylor’s songs, but not always. 

Examples: 

• “Once upon a time, a few mistakes ago” in I Knew You Were Trouble tells us that we’re looking back at a past event, after the narrator has made some mistakes.
• “My love was as cruel as the cities I lived in” in Daylight tells us both that the narrator lived in “cruel” cities, and that her romances were just as harmful.
• “How many days did I spend thinkin’ ‘bout how you did me wrong” in I Forgot That You Existed  explains that the narrator used to ruminate about this nemesis, and also sets the scene for moving on.

Flashback

A scene set earlier in time than where the narrator is now, usually used to provide context or give an example. Sometimes Taylor tells us she’s using a flashback, and sometimes it’s inferred. 

Examples: 

• Never Grow Up uses a series of flashbacks to illustrate childhood moments. 
• All Too Well uses a series of flashbacks to give context to the central romance. 
• In King of My Heart, she tells us she’s entering a flashback with, “flashback when you met me…”

Foreshadowing

A warning about something that will happen later on in the narrative (usually ominous). 

Examples: 

• “You said you’d be here” in The Moment I Knew foreshadows that he won’t actually show up. 
• “Skies grew darker” in This Love foreshadows that this relationship won’t end well. 

Frame Story 

A story that begins and ends with the same lines or ideas. 

Examples: 

• Love Story begins and ends with “We were both young when I first saw you”. 
• Haunted begins and ends with “you and I walk a fragile line”. 
• Guilty As Sin? begins and ends with “He sent me ‘Downtown Lights’.”

In Medias Res 

Latin for “in the middle of things”. Starting a narrative without context; launching straight in without any explanation. 

Examples: 

• Mad Woman starts with “What did you think I’d say to that?”, with no context as to who she’s speaking to or what she’s talking about. 
• Bad Blood begins the first verse with “Did you have to do this?”, with no context as to what the central conflict is about. 

Narrator

The character who is telling the story. Taylor narrates all her songs (she writes and sings them), but she is not always the narrator. 

We don’t always get to know who the narrator is for every song, and for most we have to assume. 

Examples: 

• cardigan’s narrator is Taylor’s fictional character Betty, as revealed by Taylor. 
• Peter’s narrator is the character Wendy from Peter Pan, as illustrated by the literary references in the lyrics. 
• In simpler songs like Teardrops on My Guitar and Back to December, Taylor both narrates and is the narrator.
• In Florida!!! there are two narrators singing simultaneously: Taylor and Florence, though we don’t know if it’s from their point of view. They may not be singing as themselves, but narrating the story from another – or a fictional character’s – point of view. 

Point of View/Perspective 

The narrator’s position related to the story being told. Sometimes Taylor is the narrator AND it’s from her point of view, and sometimes neither of these things are true.

• cardigan is from Betty’s point of view, and Betty is the narrator (as sung by Taylor). 
• Peter is from Wendy’s point of view, and Wendy is the narrator (as sung by Taylor). 

Plot

The basic storyline of the song: a sequence of events that play out in the lyrics. Sometimes there is no central plot in Taylor’s songs, and they instead narrate thoughts or ideas. 

Examples: 

• In no body, no crime, the story begins with a wife discovering her husband is cheating. Then the wife disappears, and the narrator plots revenge against the husband. 
• champagne problems begins with a character sitting alone on a train, then narrates how he has come to be in this depressive state of mind by relaying past events. 

Prologue

An introduction that gives context and meaning.

Examples:

• Debut Album Prologue
• Fearless & Fearless TV Prologues
• Speak Now & Speak Now TV Prologues
• Red & Red TV Prologues
• 1989 & 1989 TV Prologues
• reputation Prologue

Subject

Whomever the song is about or directed towards. Most of the time, we don’t know for sure who the subjects of Taylor’s songs are, and we can only speculate. 

• In Never Grow Up, the subject is a child or young person. 
• In All You Had to Do Was Stay, the subject is referred to as “you”, and is likely an ex-boyfriend, but we don’t know who. 
• In The Prophecy, the subject is an unknown god or life force. 

Sentence-Level Devices: Word by Word

Here are literary devices Taylor uses line by line, and word by word.

Allusion

Hinting at an idea without explicitly mentioning it. 

Examples: 

• “I would have stayed on my knees” in would’ve, could’ve, should’ve alludes to praying. 
• “Jacket round my shoulders is yours” in Cornelia Street alludes to cold weather, without describing the cold weather specifically. 
• “But we can patch it up good” in False God alludes to make-up sex without explicitly saying so. 

Analogy

Something as something else, that explains both things (“she’s as blind as a bat” explains that she is blind, and that bats are blind). 

Examples: 

• “My knuckles were bruised like violets” from The Great War indicates that her knuckles are purple from bruises, and that violets are purple. 
• “August slipped away like a bottle of wine” in August means that time passed as quickly as you can drink a bottle of wine in summer, and that bottles of wine tend to be consumed quickly. 

Double Entendre

A word or phrase that’s open to two meanings, one of which is usually risque. 

Examples: 

• “Dancing with our hands tied” means both that they are restricted in their relationship, and alludes to bedroom activities. 
• “I dress to kill my time” in Death by a Thousand Cuts means both that she kills time by getting dressed, and dresses in a sexy way to “kill” men. 

Figurative Language

Non-literal wording that adds meaning. 

Examples: 

• “You look like an angel” in Hey Stephen means he looks angelic (this is also a simile, explained further below). 
• “You’re still all over me like a wine-stained dress” means Maroon that her ex left a permanent mark on her soul. 

Imagery

Visually descriptive language. 

Examples: 

• “Autumn leaves fallin’ down like pieces into place” –All Too Well
• “Grey and blue and fights and tunnels” –Fresh Out The Slammer
• “The air is thick with loss and indecision” –You’re Losing Me

Juxtaposition 

Two dissimilar things side by side, used to emphasize the contrast. 

Examples: 

• “I’ve been Miss Misery since your goodbye / And you’re Mr Perfectly Fine” –Mr Perfectly Fine
• “The rest of the world was black and white / And we were in screaming color” –Out of The Woods 

Metaphor

Describing one thing by mentioning another (“the classroom was a zoo”). Taylor is a master of metaphors, and they are often deep and complex. 

• “So watch me strike a match on all my wasted time” –Picture to Burn. Striking the match is a metaphor for getting over him and moving on.  
• “You put up walls and paint them all a shade of gray” –Cold as You. The walls are a metaphor for not letting her into his heart, and gray is a metaphor for confusion and sadness. 
• “I’m an Aston Martin you drove straight into a ditch” –imgonnagetyouback. The luxury car is a metaphor for her innate value, and the crash is a metaphor for him breaking up with her in a careless way, and destroying her. 

Metonymy 

Person or thing represented by a closely associated trait.

Examples: 

• “You almost ran the red” describes a traffic light as a “red” in All Too Well.
• “No one in my small town thought I’d meet these suits in LA” in Clara Bow describes businessmen as “suits.” 

Oxymoron

Two contradictory terms right next to one another. 

Examples:

• “I’ve never heard silence quite this loud” –The Story of Us 
• “We’re a crooked love, in a straight line down” –I Wish You Would

Personification & Anthropomorphism 

Human traits given to inanimate objects or animals. 

Examples: 

• “Your eyes whispered, ‘Have we met?’” (eyes can’t speak) –Enchanted 
• “I ask the traffic lights if it’ll be alright / They say ‘I don’t know’” –Death by a Thousand Cuts

Simile

Comparing two different things using “like” or “as”. 

Examples: 

• “Music starts playing like the end of a sad movie” –Breathe 
• “You, with your words like knives” –Mean
• “Lilac short skirt, the one that fits me like skin” –imgonnagetyouback

Symbolism

Image, object, or idea is used to represent something else. 

Examples: 

• “In the cracks of light, I dreamed of you” –evermore. The cracks of light symbolize hope. 
• “The rubies that I gave up” –Maroon. The rubies symbolize something valuable she sacrificed. 
• “I left my scarf there, at your sister’s house / And you’ve still got it in your drawer, even now” –All Too Well. The scarf symbolizes his memory of her and their romance.  

Story & Song-Level Devices: The Larger Picture

Here are literary and narrative devices that extend throughout the length of Taylor’s songs.

Allegory 

A story that teaches a moral lesson.  

Example: 

• I Knew You Were Trouble is an allegory about listening to your gut instincts. 
• The Lucky One is an allegory about how fame can ruin you. 
• The Albatross is a deeply layered allegory about Taylor’s reputation. 
• Cassandra is an allegory about not being believed, like the famous “boy who cried wolf.”

Extended Metaphor

A metaphor not used only once but continuously, deepening its meaning and symbolism. 

Examples:

• Mirrorball: The entire song compares her career and celebrity to a glittering but fragile disco ball. 
• Story of Us: The entire song compares their relationship to a storybook narrative. 
• My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys: The entire song compares her lover to a petulant child, and compares herself to a broken toy he carelessly discarded. 

Motif

Theme that reappears throughout like a symbol, concept or image. 

Examples: 

• ivy’s central motif is nature and death, as illustrated in the ivy, cemetery and stone imagery. 
• The Great War’s central motif is war and nature, as illustrated with the flower imagery and battle metaphors. 

Sarcasm 

Verbal irony used to mock or ridicule the subject. Sometimes only one line is sarcastic, and sometimes an entire song is sarcastic.

Example: 

• “It takes everything in me just to get up each day / But it’s wonderful to see that you’re okay” –Mr Perfectly Fine , a song that is entirely sarcastic, and meant to ridicule the subject.
• “And you would hide away and find your peace of mind / With some indie record that’s much cooler than mine” in We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together  is one sarcastic line in a song that is heavy with sarcasm.

Satire

Making fun of human nature, society, or oneself. Some of Taylor’s songs are entirely satire start to finish, and sometimes she uses it in only one line or verse.

Examples:

• Blank Space is a satirical song about her own reputation in dating men (“I can make the bad guys good for a weekend”). 
• “Cause I knew everything when I was young” in cardigan uses satire to emphasize how little we know about life when we’re young. 
• “I’ll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror”, and other parts of Anti-Hero, use satire to poke fun at her perceived reputation. 

Tone & Mood 

The general attitude of the song. 

Examples: 

• You’re Losing Me is sad and regretful. 
• 22 is happy and carefree. 
• My Tears Ricochet is angry and vengeful.

Theme 

The central idea that the song revolves around. 

Examples: 

• Should’ve Said No is about cheating and being cheated on. 
• mad woman is about the patriarchy and women’s position in a patriarchal society.
• the lakes is about romantic escapism.  

Dialogue Devices: Narrating Her Stories 

Anecdote

Short story within a story about a real moment in time (usually referring to the past).

Examples: 

• All Too Well [10-Minute Version] contains several anecdotes about their time together (sister’s house, driving upstate, the scarf, the keychain incident)
• The Tortured Poets Department relays an anecdote about a ring at dinner (“at dinner you take my ring off my middle finger and put it on the one people put wedding rings on”). 

Cliché

Thoughts or phrases that are so overused that they’re trite. Taylor usually uses cliches deliberately to make a point, or twists them to mean something different. 

• “The wrong place at the right time” in Slut! twists the usual “the right place at the wrong time”. 
• “They say all’s well that ends well,” she says in All Too Well, using the cliche Shakesperian phrase, but follows with, “but I’m in a new hell.” 

Colloquialism

Informal words and slang, usually used in conversation and not in writing. 

• “Like, ever” –We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (“like” isn’t usually used except in conversation). 
• “In my feelings” –I Forgot That You Existed

Erotesis

A question that expects a response: the opposite of a rhetorical question. Often this comes down to tone. 

• “Who’s gonna hold you?” in The Tortured Poets Department begs for an answer, and then Taylor answers herself: “me.” 
• “‘How’d we end up on the floor anyway’, you say” from Maroon paraphrases the subject’s question, then Taylor answers with, “Your roommate’s cheap ass screw top rose, that’s how.” 

Euphemism

Polite way of describing something inappropriate (usually sexual, but not always). 

Examples: 

• “Nights when you made me your own” is a euphemism for sex in All Too Well. 
• “That ain’t my merlot on his mouth” is a euphemism for the taste of another woman in no body, no crime. 
• “Scout’s honor” in So High School is a euphemism for a sexual act. 

Hyperbole

Exaggerations not meant to be taken literally. 

Examples:

• “And I’m dyin’ to know, is it killing you, like it’s killing me?” in The Story of Us doesn’t actually mean she’s dying; she’s just very curious. 
• “It took you five whole minutes to pack us up” in exile means she seemed to pack up a long relationship in a short amount of time; not that she actually only packed up her life in 5 minutes. 

Idioms & Figures of Speech

Using words to mean something that they don’t mean literally (i.e. “it’s raining cats and dogs” doesn’t mean literal cats and dogs are falling from the sky, but rather that it’s raining hard). 

Taylor usually twists common figures of speech & idioms to mean something new. 

Examples: 

• “Every time you double-cross my mind” in All Too Well twists the common usage of “cross my mind.” 
• “Another name goes up in lights” in The Lucky One uses the common “name up in lights” to highlight the rise and fall cycle of celebrity. 
• “Lavender Haze” is an old-fashioned idiom for the intoxicating glow of new love. 
• “Damned if I do give a damn what people say” in Lavender Haze twists the common usage of “damned if I do, damned if I don’t”. 

Irony

Difference between what is said and the literal meaning, that points out a humorous contradiction (i.e. a fire breaking out at a fire station).

Examples: 

• “I can’t decide if it’s a choice” from Treacherous is ironic: if you’re deciding, you’re making a choice. 
• “I was never good at tellin’ jokes, but the punchline goes…” in All Too Well [10-minute Version] proclaims her jokes aren’t great, but then goes on to tell the most scathing “joke” she’s ever told (“I get older, but your lovers stay my age”). 

Proverb

An old saying that gives advice. Taylor usually uses proverbs to highlight her point, or twists them to mean something new. 

Examples: 

• “Time won’t fly” in All Too Well twists the usual “time flies” to mean time is not passing quickly enough. 
• “What’s past is past” in Begin Again uses the common phrase meaning that bad experiences are behind you. 
• “What doesn’t kill me makes me want you more” in Cruel Summer twists the common “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” to form a new meaning. 
• Marjorie contains several proverbs, including “Never be so clever, you forget to be kind” and “never be so polite you forget your power.” 

Rhetorical Question

Question used for dramatic effect, without expectation of an answer. 

Examples: 

• “How can a person know everything at 18 but nothing at 22?” from Nothing New is a rhetorical question used to emphasize her confusion as she grows up. 
• “Can I go where you go?” and “Can we always be this close?” from Lover are rhetorical questions used to emphasize her infatuation with her partner. 
• “They say ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you aware’ / What happens if it becomes who you are?” in Cassandra is a rhetorical question highlighting how devastating and life-altering this situation was for her. 

Soliloquy 

Characters speaking their thoughts aloud. 

• In We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, Taylor speaks – instead of sings – a soliloquy in the bridge (“so he calls me up…”) 
• In Florida!!!, the narrator breaks the fourth wall and says, “is that a bad thing to say in a song?”

Character Devices

Antagonist 

A character or force that opposes the protagonist. This is used to propel the story forward, and gives our protagonist a central motivation: revenge or retaliation.

Examples: 

• In My Tears Ricochet, the antagonist is an unknown character, whom the song is directed toward. 
• In Should’ve Said No, there are two antagonists. The central one is an ex-boyfriend who cheated, and the secondary antagonist is the girl he cheated with. 

Archetype 

A classic example or universal symbol for a role or theme (the hero, the witch, the princess, the damsel in distress, etc.). These can be neutral, positive, or negative. 

Examples: 

• “New money, suit and tie” is the archetype of a playboy businessman in Blank Space. 
• Love Story describes the archetypal “damsel in distress.” 
• Anti-Hero contains several archetypes: the “monster on the hill,” the “sexy baby”, and the rich, stingy widow.

Stereotype 

A negative label for a type of person or thought. 

Examples: 

• The Man contains several stereotypes for men and women (“I’d be a bitch, not a baller”) 
• Slut! discusses the stereotype of women who dare to date more than one man. 
• Blank Space comments on the media’s stereotype of Taylor as a “maneater”. 

Trope

An overused characterization. These are similar to archetypes, but usually refers more to personality than the role of the character. 

Taylor knows when she’s using tropes, and uses them strategically to deepen her storytelling. 

Examples: 

• The “good pious girl who falls for a bad boy” in But Daddy I Love Him 
• The Bolter portrays the trope of the wild girl who can’t commit and settle down. 
• Love Story portrays the helpless girl who must be rescued by a man. 

Poetic Devices: Sound, Rhythm & Repetition

Alliteration

Repeating sounds of the same initial consonant. 

Examples: 

• “It’s the first kiss, it’s flawless…it’s fearless” in Fearless repeats the beginning ‘f’ sound. 
• “From when your Brooklyn broke my skin and bones” from All Too Well repeats the beginning  ‘b’ sound. 
• “Roaring twenties, tossing pennies in the pool” -the 1 repeats beginning ‘t’ and ‘p’ sounds. 
• “Get me with those green eyes baby” from Sparks Fly repeats beginning ‘g’ sounds)

Anaphora

Repetition of word or phrase in successive lines. Taylor often uses this to emphasize a central theme or idea. 

Examples: 

• “This love is good / This love is bad / This love is alive” –This Love 
• “Said you were gonna grow up then you were gonna come find me / You said you were gonna grow up, then you were gonna come find me” –Peter 

Assonance

Repeating vowel sounds. 

Examples: 

• “My elegies eulogize me” in the lakes repeats ‘e’ sound. 
• “I spy with my tiny, tired eye” in Sweet Nothing repeats “i” and “y” sounds.  

Consonance 

Repeating consonant sounds.

Examples: 

• “Laughing with your feet in my lap, like you were my closest friend”  in Maroon repeats ‘l’ and ‘f’ sounds.  
• “I replay my footsteps on each stepping stone” in evermore repeats the ‘st’ sound.  

Epistrophe

Repetition of the same word at the end of lines. 

Examples:

• “So scarlet” and “It was maroon” repetition in Maroon
• “Come here, dressed in black now / Scratches down your back now” –So it Goes

Polysyndeton 

Conjunctions used repeatedly where they’re not really necessary grammatically. 

Examples: 

• “All you are is mean, and a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life, and mean” in Mean repeats “and”. 
• “We fall in love til it hurts or bleeds or fades in time” in State of Grace repeats “or”. 

Repetition

Repeating the same phrases to emphasize a point or create atmosphere.

Examples:

• “Call it what you want / call it what you want / call it what you want” –Call it What You Want
• “But it won’t start up til I touch, touch, touch you” –Fortnight
• “We are never, ever, ever getting back together” –We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together

Sibilance 

Hissing sound through the repetition of “s” sounds. 

Examples: 

• “I left my scarf there, at your sister’s house” from All Too Well. 
• “The lights refract sequin stars of her silhouette every night” from I Can Do it With A Broken Heart.
• In live performances of Anti-Hero, Taylor emphasizes the ‘s’ sound in “everybody agrees(ssssss)”.

Grammatical Devices

Ellipsis

Intentional omission of a word or a purposeful pause, usually signified with three periods. 

• “How dare you say that it’s….” in Down Bad intentionally omits “over”. 
• The title of “Question…?” indicates pause or fill-in-the-blank after “question”. 
• The title of “Come Back…Be Here” indicates a pause in the middle of the title.

Question Marks and Exclamation Points

Taylor uses these forms of punctuation in song titles to emphasize her point. 

Examples: 

• “Is It Over Now?” and “How Did it End?” signify that the contents of the song will circle around these central questions. 
• “Slut!” and “Florida!!!” use exclamation points to emphasize the energy and strong feelings around the subject matter 

Lowercase and Uppercase 

Taylor uses both lowercase and uppercase to draw attention to different aspects of her lyrics. 

Examples: 

• In her first four albums – debut, Fearless, Speak Now, and Red – she spelled out secret messages in her lyric booklets with capital letters. In 1989, she changed the lyrics to uppercase, and spelled out hidden messages with lowercase letters.
• Three albums are titled in lowercase: reputation, folklore, and evermore. In reputation, the song titles are not lowercase, but in folklore and evermore, they are.
• “thanK you aIMee” spells out K-I-M with capital letters, leading some fans to believe the song is directed at Kim Kardashian. The alternate version is titled “thank You aimEe”, spelling out “Ye”, likely directed at Kanye West. 

Taylor Swift Literary Devices: Final Thoughts

Taylor is a master of using literary devices to deepen her stories, craft meaningful narratives, and keep us intrigued. It may not always be obvious she’s using these methods, but once you dig into the text, you can see which strategy she’s using, and when.

Though her metaphors and imagery often take center stage, don’t discount her use of other literary and poetic devices – they’re just as important!

What’s your favorite literary or poetic device in a Taylor Swift song?