Is American pop star Taylor Swift a “literary genius”? When students at the University of Ghent, in the north of Belgium, took up the subject, a hubbub invaded their classroom.
Taylor Swift’s texts “can sound like poetry,” says a student.
It is too early to know if the 33-year-old singer will have the same impact as William Shakespeare, believes one of her comrades.
The author of the XVIe century has written 39 plays and more than 150 poems, while Taylor Swift has recorded ten albums.
What do Shakespeare and the great names of classical literature have in common with the famous contemporary singer-songwriter? This is the subject of Elly McCausland’s course, entitled Taylor version literature for master’s students at Ghent University.
During the first lesson on Monday, the teacher piqued her students’ curiosity by questioning them, for example, about what makes certain works timeless. Its objective: to make literature more accessible.
“I would like people to be interested in literature, to think about it in a new way and to realize that in fact, even the literature of centuries and centuries ago has always something to add to our conversations,” she explains to AFP.
“A true poet”
The ten-session course uses references to Swift’s songs and focuses on classic works like Villettethe novel by Charlotte Brontë.
It was a success with 61 students registered, twice as many as usual. Some even come from other regions of Belgium.
Zina Ringoot, 20, traveled 90 minutes from Antwerp. “I’m a big fan of Taylor Swift,” explains this master’s student in English literature. She wishes to write a thesis on the “folklore” album and its link with romanticism.
Joris Verschelde, 21, admits he is “not a big fan” but wanted to “see the connection between the songs and what we have already learned” in the older texts.
The windowless auditorium is often filled with laughter, even though serious themes are on the agenda, such as feminism, sexism and misogyny.
Critics reject comparisons with the great authors, but Taylor Swift also has admirers among Shakespeare experts, including British academic Sir Jonathan Bate.
“It’s not just high-class showbiz, Taylor Swift is a true poet,” he wrote in the Sunday Times in April, after attending a concert by the artist during her Eras tour which broke all records.