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Column: As ‘Tortured Poets Department’ arrives, we wondered: Can Taylor Swift be poetry?

Taylor Swift performs her song “Cruel Summer” on the opening night of the Chicago Eras Tour on June 2, 2023, at Soldier Field.
Shanna Madison/Chicago Tribune
Taylor Swift performs her song “Cruel Summer” on the opening night of the Chicago Eras Tour on June 2, 2023, at Soldier Field.
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It goes back to debates about Dylan — actually much earlier. It has special roots in Chicago's own blend of slam poetry and songwriting. What's a song, and what's a poem, anyway?

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