E84: Is Emily Dickinson Taylor Swift’s Literary Twin? Comparing Emily Dickinson with Karma, Evermore & More

“And I was catching my breath, barefoot in the wildest winter…” What happens when a 21st-century American poet meets a 19th-century one? In this Show & Tell episode, we explore the literary lineage between Taylor Swift and Emily Dickinson—two iconic writers whose work spans centuries but shares unmistakable DNA (literally—did you know they might be distant cousins?!). From slant rhymes and stylized punctuation to themes of isolation, longing, and hope, we unpack the poetic parallels between Dickinson’s timeless verses and Taylor’s lyrics. In true Show & Tell fashion, each of us brings a favorite Dickinson poem paired with a Swift song that touch on shared motifs such as separation, isolation, and hope. Tune in to find out which modern-day Taylor tracks sound like 19th-century poetry—and why we think Emily might vibe with Evermore. Take our listener survey: https://aptaylorswift.substack.com/survey/2658723 Subscribe to get new episode updates: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe Stay up to date at aptaylorswift.com    Mentioned in this episode:  The Letters of Emily Dickinson The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson Emily Dickinson’s Hope is the Thing with Feathers They Put Us Far Apart (Poem 474) It Was Not Death, for I Stood Up (Poem 355) Message in a Bottle – Taylor Swift Evermore – Taylor Swift Karma – Taylor Swift Beauty and the Beast (live-action & Broadway versions) Hamilton Taylor Swift by the Book Ancestry.com – Taylor & Emily’s distant cousin connection Emily Dickinson Museum Tikvah (Hebrew word for hope)   ***   Episode Highlights:  [06:26] “Message in a Bottle” + they put us far apart [16:03] “Evermore” + It was not death, for I stood up  [29:31] “Karma” + Hope is a thing with feathers Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!  TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift Link Tree →linktr.ee/aptaylorswift Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts Libro.fm →  tinyurl.com/aptslibro Contact us at [email protected]  Affiliate Codes:  Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!  Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro 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.