The Waking

“I shake it off, I shake it off”

Uncle Jerry quotes Theodore Roethke's poem The Waking, specifically the line 'the shaking keeps me steady, I should know', and argues that this paradox is exactly what Shake It Off is about. The idea that shaking, which should destabilise, actually provides steadiness captures the song's central argument: that the act of shaking off criticism is itself what keeps the speaker grounded and resilient. Angela agrees, saying 'That's what this song is about.' Uncle Jerry describes the connection as ironic, counterintuitive, and paradoxical.