T.S. Eliot
American-British · 20th century
Modernist poet and literary critic. Nobel laureate. Known for The Waste Land and the formulation 'the purpose of literature is to turn blood into ink.' His initials TS parallel Taylor Swift's.
Connection to Taylor Swift
Discussed in episode as the source of the "ink bleeds" image in loml. Angela & Uncle Jerry note parallel initials (TS).
Notable Works
- The Waste Land, Four Quartets, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
Appears in the Archive
Context within the Archive
T.S. Eliot — "the purpose of literature is to turn blood into ink"
“And all at once, the ink bleeds”
Uncle Jerry quotes T.S. Eliot's statement that 'the purpose of literature is to turn blood into ink' in connection with the line 'And all at once, the ink bleeds.' He argues that the ink on the painting bleeds and causes the ink on her writing to bleed, concluding that the poem is 'full of her own blood.' Angela also connects this to another TTPD song (The Prophecy) where Taylor says 'I'm feeling like the very last drops of an ink pen,' suggesting a thematic thread across the album.