Invisible Strings is a fun poetry bundle. There are some Taylor Swift inspired poems, but most of poems just weren't for me.

Ode to the Little Girl Singing Kareoke at My Nephew's Wedding Reception
This is the kind of poem I also expected in this bundle: poems inspired by people singing Taylor Swift music. Like here a young girl singing Would've Could've Should've while still having her girlhood

My favs:
Trans/ohm by Tommy Archuleta
amanda lovelace
In Wonderland, We're Surprised/Not Surprised to Learn the Chamomile Tea Tasted Bitter by Kelli Russell Agodon
The Lucky One by Diane Seuss
Espectacularistas by Rodrigo Toscano
Oceans apart by Leah Umansky
for a friend, considering leaving
Ode to the Little Girl Singing Kareoke at My Nephew's Wedding Reception

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the review copy. It’s a fascinating concept to explore Taylor Swift’s music through a literary lens. I found some of the connections between her lyrics and classic literature to be really insightful.While I didn’t love every poem or analysis, it’s a great starting point for further exploration. I could definitely see this inspiring some in-depth academic study. Personally, I prefer to dip into it a little at a time.

With Taylor Swift being as popular as she is, there’s been quite the influx of Swift-related books hitting the shelves. Ones that delve into her history, her songs, and her fashion, to touch on a few. This one, however, stands out from the rest as it’s a collection of new poems, from 113 poets, in response to Taylor’s songs.

With a thoughtful forward from Sir Jonathan Bate, and then a touching introduction by Kirstie Frederick Daugherty (the mastermind behind the collection), we’re then thrust into the many different poetical interpretations based off of Swift’s music.

What I loved about this is that they don’t tell you which songs specifically inspired the poems. It’s up to us to interpret them, and see if we can find the connections. I’m a pretty seasoned Swiftie, and while some came to me easily, there are still a few I’ve been left scratching my head over - but that’s part of the joy of the collection, as I’m sure I’ll revisit them again soon, and see if I can decipher them. It had me itching to grab a notepad and pen, to note down the possible connections to the songs that I know so well, and had me engaging with poetry in a way that I don’t tend to do - which was definitely something that the collection was setting out to do.

I also appreciated that there’s such a variety of styles of poem within this collection - with 113 contributors, it never feels stale, as each poet is bringing in their unique voice and take on their different songs.

I think this is a beautiful idea, that’s been really well executed. I really appreciate that it’s accessible to both new and old fans alike, and, similarly, people who read poetry regularly and for others who are maybe less familiar with the medium.

Thank you to the publishers, and Netgalley, for the copy to review.

I love Taylor Swift so it was great to see works she inspired by poets who I also adore, fantastic collection.

The concept is brilliant and that is why I requested the book. I am not too sure about the poems though.

I found the opener to this book to be far better than the poetry itself! This may have been an issue with me, as I struggle with poetry and identifying the greater meaning between the stanzas - but I found it really difficult to connect the lyrics to the poems.

I found myself reading a few, leaving the book and then going back again. Which is arguably how such a book should be consumed! This however didn’t really work in an ebook format and is definitely something more suited to a coffee table style book.

A perfect read if you’re a massive Taylor Swift fan and know the background lore of her lyrics and so can trace the poems back to their meanings. But for a passive fan like myself, this might not be the book for you. I did, however, massively enjoy the opening chapter by the author!

As a fan of Taylor swift I thought this might be an interesting read, but I realise I'm not always a big poetry fan and I found some of the poems hard to link to Swifts lyrics, it would've been nice to have been told the connection. Whilst some of the poems were lovely I thought it maybe was too many in the anthology and I skipped over quite a few before going back to them. Maybe would have been better in book form for me rather than as an ebook so I could pick up and read a random couple and then put it back down again.

This anthology of poems inspired by the wonderful lyrics of Taylor Swift contains some absolutely beautiful pieces! I appreciated the feminist tone and the explorations of love, and felt that the variety of poems captured well the themes of Taylor’s discography. I found the foreword and introduction interesting and captivating.

However, I do wish there had been more explicit connectivity between poems and their inspiration throughout, and for this book to make a perfect gift, some illustration or pattern on the pages would amplify the words of the poets.

I’m grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an Advance Digital Review Copy of this collection. All opinions my own.

I’m usually not into poetry—except for Nikita Gill's work—but since I enjoy Taylor Swift's lyrics (especially ''Folklore and Evermore''), I thought I'd give this collection a shot. Unfortunately, it missed the mark for me. While there were a few gems, most of it felt like filler. Plus, the heavy use of profanity and the themes didn’t quite resonate with me. And the whole "God as a woman" thing? Yeah, I just didn’t get that. It’s a pass from me, but hey, poetry’s all about personal taste!

Thank you to Netgalley & Headline for sending me an early copy to review!


#InvisibleStrings #NetGalley

Such a fun and unique take on Taylor’s lyrics by some of her most devoted fans. Beautiful anthology of poetry.