Taylor Swift is known to almost never reveal the subject of any of her songs (although "Thank U, aIMee" might beg to differ), but even she might be leading fans astray on her new album. Trigger warning : This article contains details about suicide.
One theory going viral on TikTok speculates that "Torture Poets Ministry" had nothing to do with any of its male listeners who suspected it, including Swift's ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn and 1975 frontman Marty Healy. Instead, Swift was shocked that her album might actually be an ode to poet Sylvia Plath, naturally.
TikToker @rubym364 found numerous references to Plath on the album, leading her to speculate that Tormented Poet was at least partially inspired by the American poet and her marriage to British poet Ted Hughes.
Plath, who committed suicide in 1963, a year after breaking up with Hughes, spoke candidly about her mental health issues at work. It turns out there are some parallels between the album's themes and Plath's life.
remaining manuscripts
After Plath died, she left behind a manuscript called "Ariel," which Hughes later published as a collection of poems, possibly as a nod to the album's final track, "Manuscript." She also left a "second set of 19 poems," leading TikTokers to speculate that this is why Tortured Poets is a double album.
"Cassandra" connection
Hughes' second partner, Asia Wavell, also committed suicide in almost exactly the same way as Plath. This led many literary scholars and biographers to speculate that Hughes abused two women, something Plath also hinted at in her own work. Hughes' widow denies the allegations.
TikTokers speculate that Cassandra, about a woman who tries to warn her town of danger but ends up being killed, echoes similar stories from Plath and Wavell.
"Two Weeks" Music Video
Swift's "Fortnightly" music video may also be a reference to Plath's life. Hughes's poem "The Last Letter" recounts his description of the days before Plath's death, in which he suggests that she called him from a phone box several times before her death but that he did not answer because he and Wavell together, who was his mistress at the time.
The video begins with Swift staying in a mental hospital, perhaps a reference to Plath's stay in a mental hospital. She later received electroshock therapy, a treatment Plath also received. The video ends with her sitting on top of a phone booth in the rain as her lover (played by Post Malone) makes a call, presumably to end his current relationship.
Swift warned listeners in the title that the album would be about tortured poets — but she might not be the only one to be questioned.
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741. You can also call the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 or Trevor Lifeline at 1-866-488-7386, or your local suicide crisis center .
