Taylor Swift Figurative Language

Taylor Swift is notoriously known for writing songs about her relationships. Whether it is the beginning of a relationship, the ending of a previous one, or the problems within a relationship, Swift uses clever writing techniques to tell a story in her songs. In 2019, Swift released her album Lover, which contains songs that illustrate the emotional elements of being in love. “Afterglow” is a featured track on the album. In the song, Taylor talks about when she overreacted about a situation and accepts the blame for her actions. Swift attempts to gain her lover's trust and forgiveness after a tough argument by using figurative language and rhetorical devices. Swift begins by using figurative language to state that she understands she is in the wrong for her actions. In verse one, Taylor says, “I blew things out of proportion/Now you’re blue.” She explains that she took the situation too far and did not have to react the way she did. Swift uses the metaphor “Now you’re blue” to announce that her lover is upset with how she acted. Adding to the understanding of her unnecessary behavior, Taylor says, “Thought I had reason to attack, but no.” This claim further supports her argument that

She struggles with the thought of her lover leaving because of how she made them feel after lashing out. In the chorus, she says, “Hey, it’s all me, in my head/I’m the one who burned us down.” She wants to clarify so her lover knows none of what happened was their fault. It was all on her. She admits she does not like watching her lover get upset over her behavior by saying, “It’s so excruciating to see you low/Just want to lift you up and not let you go.” Swift appeals to her lover's emotions so they will be on the same level of agreement. She does not want a minor issue to be the reason why the relationship