Taylor Swift and Literature Queen Mary Summer School
| Award | Attendance | Study | Duration | Start | Domestic fees | International fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer School | On-Campus | Full-time | find out | June | £2500.00 total per | £2500.00 total per |
We offer a 10% discount to:
Those who apply before 31 March 2025
Students and staff from partner institutions
Alumni
Current Queen Mary students
The cost of accommodation is approximately £1013 per session. For further information, please visit our accommodation page.
Course overview
You may have seen articles, in publications ranging from the Wall Street Journal to Teen Vogue, about seminars on Taylor Swift that were recently offered at some American universities. These university-level classes on Swift's work and its form, context, and implications raise all kinds of questions about what should be taught, read, and studied. Is Swift's work literature, and is it worth studying in the same way that one would study Shakespeare or Dickens? In this module, we will grapple with ideas of canonicity and literary value and think about what it means to read something as literature.
This module suggests that the lyrics of Taylor Swift can and should be read as literature. In doing so, we will pay close attention to formal elements such as rhyme and word choice. We will also analyze her songs with the help of key texts in critical theory and discuss the political, national, and historical contexts of her work. Queen Mary's London setting will encourage us to pay particular attention to the way in which the UK, and London in particular, figures in Swift's lyrics.
Entry requirements for this course
Contact Queen Mary Summer School to find course entry requirements.
View foundation and pathway programmes to help you meet academic and language entry requirements.
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