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Here's a thread of examples of rhetorical devices in Taylor Swift lyrics:
1. ADNOMINATION: the repetition of words with the same root in a sentence.
“That you never loved me, or her
Or anyone, or anything”
- I Knew You Were Trouble
“That you never loved me, or her
Or anyone, or anything”
- I Knew You Were Trouble
2. ANAPHORA: the repetition of a word or phrase in successive clauses.
“This love is good
This love is bad
This love is a life back from the dead”
- This Love
“This love is good
This love is bad
This love is a life back from the dead”
- This Love
3. ANTANACLASIS: The repetition of a word within a phrase or sentence in which the second occurrence utilizes a different meaning from the first.
“Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes”
- Cruel Summer
“Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes”
- Cruel Summer
4. ANTIMETABOLE: The repetition of words in successive clauses in transposed order.
“I don't trust nobody and nobody trusts me”
- Look What You Made Me Do
“I don't trust nobody and nobody trusts me”
- Look What You Made Me Do
5. ASSONANCE: The repetition of similar vowel sounds in neighboring words.
“Rosé flowing with your chosen family”
- the 1
“Rosé flowing with your chosen family”
- the 1
6. ASYNDETON: the omission of conjunctions from a phrase or sentence.
“My heart, my hips, my body, my love
Tryna find a part of me that you didn't touch”
- Death By A Thousand Cuts
“My heart, my hips, my body, my love
Tryna find a part of me that you didn't touch”
- Death By A Thousand Cuts
7. EPIZEUXIS: The repeated use of a word for vehemence or emphasis, generally in the same sentence.
“We are never, ever, ever, ever getting back together. Like, ever.”
- We Are Never Getting Back Together
“We are never, ever, ever, ever getting back together. Like, ever.”
- We Are Never Getting Back Together
8. HYPERBOLE: The use of exaggerated terms for the purpose of emphasis or heightened effect.
“I had the shiniest wheels, now they're rusting”
- this is me trying
“I had the shiniest wheels, now they're rusting”
- this is me trying
9. HYPOCATASTASIS: An implied comparison or resemblance that does not directly name its referent (an implied SIMILE or METAPHOR).
“Kaleidoscope of loud heartbeats under coats”
- Welcome to New York
“Kaleidoscope of loud heartbeats under coats”
- Welcome to New York
10. MESOZEUGMA: A form of ZEUGMA (see below) where a single word occurring in the middle of the sentence governs clauses on either side with different uses.
“The moon is high like your friends were the night that we first met”
- Paper Rings https://twitter.com/chrtucci/status/1213864666230743040
“The moon is high like your friends were the night that we first met”
- Paper Rings https://twitter.com/chrtucci/status/1213864666230743040
11. METAPHOR: A comparison which directly relates one thing to another unrelated thing.
“Love's a fragile little flame, it could burn out”
- I Know Places
“I'm a crumpled up piece of paper lying here”
- All Too Well
“We were a fresh page on the desk"
- Cornelia Street
“Love's a fragile little flame, it could burn out”
- I Know Places
“I'm a crumpled up piece of paper lying here”
- All Too Well
“We were a fresh page on the desk"
- Cornelia Street
12. METONYMY: the use of the name of one thing for that of another of which it is associated
“You almost ran the red ‘cause you were looking over at me”
- All Too Well
“You almost ran the red ‘cause you were looking over at me”
- All Too Well
13. PARALLELISM: the usage of repeating words and forms to give pattern and rhythm to a passage, either to juxtapose contrasting ideas or connect similar ideas.
“She wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts
She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers”
- You Belong With Me
“She wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts
She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers”
- You Belong With Me
14. POLYSYNDETON: the addition of extra conjunctions for emphasis (the opposite of ASYNDETON).
“All you are is mean, and a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life, and mean”
- Mean
“All you are is mean, and a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life, and mean”
- Mean
15. SARCASM: the use of verbal irony to mock, ridicule, or express contempt.
“With some indie record that's much cooler than mine”
- We Are Never Getting Back Together
“With some indie record that's much cooler than mine”
- We Are Never Getting Back Together
16. SIMILE: A stated comparison (usually formed with "like" or "as") between two dissimilar things.
“You call me up again just to break me like a promise”
- All Too Well
“August sipped away like a bottle of wine”
- august
“You call me up again just to break me like a promise”
- All Too Well
“August sipped away like a bottle of wine”
- august
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