From the Classroom: The Tortured Poet Department

 

Article by Doug Holder

Since Harvard University has a course on Taylor Swift in their catalogue, I thought, " What the heck, maybe I could use Swift as a teaching tool." During class we discussed the Found poem. And our exercise  that day was to create a 'Found' poem based on Taylor Swift's recent album release.  So, I found a video that has Swift singing one of her songs, as a typewriter types out the lyrics. I asked the students to take the lyrics that they wrote in their notebooks, and either rearrange them into a poem, or take a line that strikes them, and make their own poem. Some pretty good stuff came out of the exercise. We also had an interesting discussion if Swift was truly a poet, not just a songwriter.  The students felt that her lyrics wouldn't make it to the poem stage--they are dependent on her music to bring them to life. I talked with them the about the importance of having a poem work on the 'stage' and on the 'page.' Swift herself admits in her song that she is no Dylan Thomas or Patti Smith-- and writes that she and her ex:  "are modern day idiots." Swift in my opinion is hardly an idiot, but a greatly- talented performer. However, she ain't a poet- may be that's why she is tortured..