The courtroom metaphor, however, illustrates that Swift’s relationship does not belong to a jury of Swift’s peers, but to Swift herself: “The jury’s out, but my choice is you.” Taylor Swift’s relationship is not within the court’s jurisdiction.

We know from Swift’s later work that she was a noted scholar of Greek philosophy during this era of her life “You know how to ball / I know Aristotle” (So High School). It is thus worth digging into Swift name dropping a group of people who were deeply upset by her success – the world-denying philosophers known as the Cynics.

Swift’s relationship was a physical experience. Since breaking up, the full-bodied physical experience of another person has been replaced by a flattened, empty version. For example, Swift sings: “I’ll watch your life in pictures like I used to watch you sleep.” When they were together, Swift saw a three-dimensional, moving, human being. After the break-up, she will now see him only through static, pixelated representations on an instagram feed.

In literature and popular culture, ghosts generally linger because they have unfinished business from their lives.

As in Never Grow Up, time in Innocent is a double-edged sword. Although growing up is terrible, it also provides healing and growth.

Better Than Revenge is Swift’s Iliad – a feminine recasting of the timeless tale of besmirched honor.

Swift read a lot into eye contact and a quick conversation – in her mind, she decoded the message embedded in a light-hearted conversation.

Our chronophobic prophetess Taylor Swift informs a baby that her life is only going to get worse from here.

The Story of Us continues Swift’s exploration of literary themes in her romantic relationships – beginning with Love Story and White Horse.

Like quintessential revenge heroes Hamlet or Cady Heron, Swift leaves a wake of destruction behind her when she attempts to become mean.