John Milton
English · 17th century
English poet and author of Paradise Lost, one of the greatest epic poems in the English language.
Connection to Taylor Swift
Canonical English-language poet whose work, Paradise Lost in particular, sits behind the catalogue's recurring engagement with paradise, fall, and the moral weight of love. At ivy he is invoked as a possible source for the 'black fire' / 'blaze in the dark' image, though the connection is speculative.
Notable Works
- Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, Areopagitica
Context within the Archive
Paradise Lost
Uncle Jerry cites Milton's Paradise Lost as a key literary treatment of exile, noting that Satan's defiant response to being thrown out of heaven ('better to rule in hell than serve in heaven') mirrors some of the defiance that leaks through the song. The exile from paradise and the refusal to accept that exile passively connects to both speakers' anger at being cast out of the relationship.
Paradise Lost
“So yeah, it's a fire It's a goddamn blaze in the dark”
Angela & Uncle Jerry note that the 'blaze in the dark' could be interpreted as black fire, which is mentioned in Milton's Paradise Lost as the fire of hell. Uncle Jerry connects this to the illicit love affair in the song, an affair that might take someone to hell. The connection is presented as one possible reading among several.