ivy, by Taylor Swift
A song inspired by Emily Dickinson
“ivy”, the tenth track from evermore, tells the story of a married woman
falling in love with a person who is not her husband, leading to an
affair. Swift has sung about infidelity in previous songs, including
sister album folklore's “august” and “illicit affairs". Alongside
“tolerate it” and “no body, no crime", “ivy” is part of the 'unhappily
ever after' anthology of marriages, which reunites infidelity, pure
toleration and even murder.
"ivy" starts off like a Grimm Brothers fairytale, linking into evermore's woodland aesthetic.
↠ Read ivy's lyrics
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"ivy" starts off like a Grimm Brothers fairytale, linking into evermore's woodland aesthetic.
How's one to know?
I'd meet you where the spirit meets the bones
In a faith-forgotten land
By the chorus it becomes clear Taylor Swift is singing of a married
woman's clandestine affair.
I'd meet you where the spirit meets the bones
In a faith-forgotten land
My pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand
Taking mine, but it's been promised to another
Taking mine, but it's been promised to another
Emily Dickinson was very close to her sister-in-law, Susan Gilbert, and
many scholars interpret their relationship as a romantic one. A
mythology developed around "ivy" that one of Swift's influences for the
track was the alleged affair between the poet and her brother's wife.
Among the clues :
- Swift released evermore on December 10, Dickinson's birthday.
- Dickinson ends one of her poems addressed to Gilbert with "forevermore."
- Swift is related to Dickinson; sixth cousins, three times removed.
- "ivy" documents a married woman's infidelity, much like Gilbert's supposed cheating on her husband with Dickinson.
- Dickinson, the Apple TV+ series about the famous poet, depicts Emily and Susan as romantically involved; "ivy" plays over the closing credits following a love scene between the two in season 3.