Finding Agency in Dear John

Finding Agency in Dear John

July 30, 2026 · 1h 25m · Season 1 · Episode 50

About this episode

Angela and Uncle Jerry explore the lore and poetic elements of Taylor Swift's 'Dear John'.

We’re back in our Speak Now era with Dear John. Angela explains the lore behind this quintessential track 5 from Taylor Swift, and Uncle Jerry talks himself into being a fan of this poem. *Links with an asterisk are affiliate links, which allow us to make a small commission on your purchase at no cost to you. Thanks so much for your support! Works Cited: Dear John Letter Agnes von Kurowsky *A Farewell to Arms – Ernest Hemingway A Dear John Letter – Jean Shepard & Ferlin Husky Dear John Letter – Whitney Houston Epistolary frame Poetic Inversion Dramatic Irony Metapoetry Metonymy The Scholar-Gipsy – Matthew Arnold The Swiftie and The Scholar Grading Matrix Follow Us: Patreon ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ Threads ⁠Angela’s Instagram⁠ Uncle Jerry’s Instagram

People in this episode

Hosts: Angela McDow, Dr. Jerry Coats

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Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Dear John, A Farewell to Arms, A Dear John Letter, Dear John Letter, The Scholar-Gipsy

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