Read Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' Prologue Poem In Full Here

19 April 2024, 08:39 | Updated: 24 April 2024, 12:00

Read Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' Prologue In Full Here. Picture: Graham Denholm/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management, Republic Records

In the album booklet of 'The Tortured Poets Department', Taylor Swift explains the meaning behind the project in a poem.

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Want to know what Taylor Swift's new album 'The Tortured Poets Department' is about? She outlines it all in the prologue.

Taylor Swift may not do many interviews about her music these days but, as day one Swifties will already know, she always discusses the meaning behind her albums in her elaborate album prologues. You can find these at the start of the album booklets of Taylor's CDs. Last year, 'Speak Now (Taylor's Version)' and '1989 (Taylor's Version)' both had prologues.

What does Taylor say in 'The Tortured Poets Department' prologue though? Here's your guide to the album's epic poem.

Read more: Read Stevie Nicks' Poem For Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' In Full Here
Read more: Kim Kardashian And Taylor Swift's Complicated Feud Explained

Taylor Swift shares cryptic message

'The Tortured Poets Department' contains Taylor's most elaborate prologue yet because not only has she written a poem for the album but there's also a poem that precedes it by Stevie Nicks. Stevie's poem outlines an ill-fated relationship between two people and it appears to reference Taylor and Stevie's exes. Read our breakdown of Stevie's poem: HERE.

As for Taylor's poem she writes a "summary of [her findings]" for the Tortured Poets Department in which she reflects on the same relationship that Stevie outlines. She writes: As you might all unfortunately recall / I had been struck with a case of a restricted humanity / Which explains my plea here today of temporary insanity.

Appearing to reference her short-lived relationship with Matty Healy after breaking up with Joe Alwyn, Taylor writes: Out of the slammer and into a tidal wave / How gallant to save the empress from her gilded tower / Swinging a sword he could barely lift.

Addressing how it also fell apart, Taylor continues: But loneliness struck at that fateful hour / Low hanging fruit on his wine stained lips / He never even scratched the surface of me / None of them did.

Taylor Swift on the opening night of The Eras Tour. Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

Taylor also calls the relationship "self-harm" before concluding that it can inspire her "best" writing. She says: A smirk creeps onto this poet’s face / Because it’s the worst men that I write best.

Has anyone checked in on Matty Healy today?

In Summation: Summary Poem by Taylor Swift

At this hearing
I stand before my fellow members of the Tortured Poets Department
With a summary of my findings
A debrief, a detailed rewinding
For the purpose of warning
For the sake of reminding
As you might all unfortunately recall
I had been struck with a case of a restricted humanity
Which explains my plea here today of temporary insanity
You see, the pendulum swings
Oh, the chaos it brings
Leads the caged beast to do the most curious things
Lovers spend years denying what’s ill fated
Resentment rotting away galaxies we created
Stars placed and glued meticulously by hand next to the ceiling fan
Tried wishing on comets
Tried dimming the shine
Tried to orbit his planet
Some stars never align
And in one conversation, I tore down the whole sky
Spring sprung forth with dazzling freedom hues
Then a crash from the skylight
Bursting through
Something old, someone hallowed, who told me he could be brand new
And so I was out of the oven
And into the microwave
Out of the slammer and into a tidal wave
How gallant to save the empress from her gilded tower
Swinging a sword he could barely lift
But loneliness struck at that fateful hour
Low hanging fruit on his wine stained lips
He never even scratched the surface of me
None of them did
“In summation, it was not a love affair!”
I screamed while bringing my fists to my coffee ringed desk
It was a mutual manic phase
It was self harm
It was house and then cardiac arrest
A smirk creeps onto this poet’s face
Because it’s the worst men that I write best
And so I enter into evidence
My tarnished coat of arms
My muses, acquired like bruises
My talismans and charms
The tick, tick, tick of love bombs
My veins of pitch black ink
All’s fair in love and poetry
Sincerely, The Chairman of The Tortured Poets Department