midnight visit meaning

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Observation, Outpatient, or Inpatient Status Explained

• How Long Is a Stay?
• Types of Admission
• Admission Status Determination
• Dealing With Insurance

If you receive medical treatment that involves an overnight hospital stay, you are being treated on an inpatient basis. If you are treated in a hospital but don't need to stay, you are being admitted on an outpatient basis.

In between, a person may receive treatment and be admitted to a hospital so they can be watched and reassessed to determine if further treatment is needed. This is admission on an observation basis.

The decision on how you are admitted is largely directed by your condition and approvals by your insurance company. Based on medical codes that classify your condition and treatment (called CPT and ICD-10 codes), your insurer will decide how long—or if—you need to stay in a hospital.

This article explains when you need to be admitted on an outpatient, inpatient, or observation basis and how the decision is made.

How Long Is Your Hospital Stay?

For the purpose of insurance billing, the length of a hospital stay is based on how many midnights you will spend in the hospital. It is not based on the number of hours you are hospitalized.

So, even if you are admitted at 11:00 p.m., you will be billed for one hospital day (along with any accrued charges) the second it turns midnight.

The hospital bill you receive is separate from the bill you receive from your surgeon or anesthesiologist . The bill not only includes the daily room charge but also charges for food, medical supplies, medical services, and any tests or procedures, such as X-rays.

Definitions of Hospital Stays

Specific definitions are assigned to your admission status, some of which are not as straightforward as they seem. The definitions matter because they have a direct impact on both your billing and out-of-pocket costs .

By definition:

• Outpatient is when a person leaves the hospital after treatment on the same day. It can also be applied a someone who spends the night in the hospital for whom a doctor has not written an order for inpatient admission. They are still admitted and billed as an outpatient.
• Inpatient is when a person treated in a hospital is admitted for at least two midnights. It can also be applied to a person who was discharged or transferred to another hospital before two midnights and didn't occupy the bed. They are still admitted and billed as an inpatient.
• Observation is when a person is admitted to the hospital but has an unclear need for longer care. The purpose is to determine within the span of one midnight whether further treatment or inpatient admission is needed.

In practice, the term "admitted" generally infers inpatient care but can be applied to anyone who is admitted for treatment in a hospital.

Insurance and How Admission Status Is Determined

Every time you are scheduled to have a hospital-based treatment or procedure—such as surgery or to deliver a baby—your healthcare provider will submit prior authorization to your health insurance company. This is to ensure that the procedure is covered along with any hospitalization that may be needed.

The decision to pay and how much to pay is largely based on two codes submitted by your healthcare provider:

• ICD-10 code : This is an international classification of all medical diagnoses used for insurance claims processing. The U.S. version is issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
• CPT code : Otherwise known as the current procedural terminology (CPT) codes, these classify medical services and procedures. These codes were designated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) .

The codes are used by the insurer to determine what services are authorized for coverage of your condition, including whether the treatments are administered on an inpatient or outpatient basis. If inpatient care is indicated, the codes will also direct how many days you are authorized to stay.

If you require emergency care, the ER department will submit a specific CPT code after treatment designating the need for hospital observation. The code can be transitioned to inpatient care if it is decided that further treatment is needed after an overnight stay.

Asking About Overnight Hospital Bills

The amount you pay for a hospital stay is based on your insurance plan, including the deductible . If you have private or employer-sponsored insurance, there may be copayment or coinsurance costs you will need to pay out of pocket.

If out-of-pocket costs are a factor, there may be an outpatient procedure that can be used in place of an inpatient procedure. As long the treatment is appropriate and effective, it is a reasonable option to discuss with your healthcare provider.

For people with Medicare , outpatient services are covered as part of Medicare Part B , while inpatient services are covered under Medicare Part A . Medications may fall under Medicare Part D .

Because there are many rules and regulations governing payment based on the type of Medicare you have, you can reach out for assistance by calling the Medicare Helpline at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

The same applies to other federal programs like Medicaid , Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) , Tricare , and Veteran's Health Administration (VHA) .

On the other hand, if you have been discharged from the hospital and are confused about your bill, the hospital billing department can explain the charges and may be able to direct you to financial assistance if you foresee problems paying the bill.

A hospital outpatient, inpatient, or observation status is about more than just how long you are in hospital. The definition of each can place you in a different category of billing.

The determination of outpatient, inpatient, and observations is based on your condition and treatment recommendation. Based on the CPT and ICD-10 code assigned by your healthcare provider, your insurer will determine what form of treatment they will cover and how many days of hospitalization are needed, if any.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Billing and coding: acute care: inpatient, observation and treatment room services .

Medicare.gov. Are you a hospital inpatient or outpatient?

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Hospital outpatient quality reporting program .

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Advanced copy- revisions to state operations manual (SOM) hospital appendix A .

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Hospital coverage under Part B .

American Medical Association. ICD-10 .

American Medical Association. CPT overview and code approval .

By Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FN Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FNP-C, is a board-certified family nurse practitioner. She has experience in primary care and hospital medicine.

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Definition of midnight

Examples of midnight in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'midnight.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing midnight

• burn the midnight oil
• midnight blue
• midnight sun
• the midnight hour

Dictionary Entries Near midnight

midnight appointment

Cite this Entry

“Midnight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/midnight. Accessed 22 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of midnight, more from merriam-webster on midnight.

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for midnight

Nglish: Translation of midnight for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of midnight for Arabic Speakers

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Meaning of midnight in English

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• By midnight I was virtually comatose .
• She waited until well after midnight.
• By midnight, there were customers standing six deep at the bar .
• We didn't arrive at our hotel until after midnight.
• I told you quite explicitly to be home by midnight.
• in broad daylight idiom
• in the dead of night/winter idiom
• office hours
• opening time
• the witching hour
• working day

midnight | American Dictionary

Examples of midnight, translations of midnight.

Get a quick, free translation!

Word of the Day

the act of an animal running around, sometimes in circles, in a very energetic way

Binding, nailing, and gluing: talking about fastening things together

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• Artists add

Ease Of The Midnight Visit

• The Whitlams

Lyrics submitted by Addıct

Ease of the Midnight Visit Lyrics as written by Timothy Freedman

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

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What, are there no Whitlams fans on the intertron?

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Ahh this song is brilliant. What an album closer.

This is about a narration of a man in love with a girl who lives in a flat with another man, and (Tim) keeps coming around to see her: "Show me a way to stop loving you and I'll stop coming 'round".

I LOVE the closing line: "When's a fool like me gonna drive straight home?"

hi there LukeB, I think you're halfway there, mate. It's about a guy who's figured out his girl is cheating on him, but he's still in love with her... so he's gonna visit her at midnight and see if he can catch her out (hence the title of the song).

the first verse, they're... well, gettin' it on ;) and he's musing how the housemate in the front room must be feeling, etc etc. the second verse has him thinking about why she's so... different in the sack (your greedy new manoeuvres, they woke me in a fright) and now his head his is going crazy, so he's going to get some sort of closure, which is the bridge. then the last verse is his attempt at climbing the side gate to get in the back and falling, hurting himself badly enough to need an ambulance. I'm wondering if he was able to peer in her window via the gate and saw something he didn't quite like. the next part is like he thinks he's dying, but his injuries prolly aren't that bad. it's his heart that's hurting more than anything else (it's not enough to be in love with you, I want to be loved too).

this song always makes me laugh, but it's so sad at the same time. and Tim's damned good at that. funny lyrics to take the severity off a song. it's a wonderful skill and one of the many reasons I've been a fan for all these years. :)

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Class Notes

Free Class Notes & Study Material

The Midnight Visitor, Class 10, English, Footprints without Feet – Summary, Explanation, Word Meanings

Last Updated on July 3, 2023 By Mrs Shilpi Nagpal

Detailed explanation of “The Midnight Visitor”, including definitions of difficult words. In addition, the explanation is followed by a lesson summary. Also, NCERT Question and Answers are also provided to help students understand this Chapter and do well in their exams.

• 1 Introduction 
• 3 Word Meanings

Introduction  

This is a story two smart secret agents who try to outsmart each other. Ausable, a secret agent, is expecting to get a very important report about some new missiles. Another secret agent, Max, threatens him with a pistol, demanding the report. However, Austable traps him with his convincing stories and eliminates Max using his presence of mind.

Ausable was a secret agent in an organization. He does not look like one at all .He was a fat man with a strange accent. He was an American and could speak German and French fluently. Fowler was disappointed to see Ausable as he could not find any characteristics of a secret agent in him as he had read.

Fowler had imagined Austable as a mysterious figure with a crack of pistols and drugs in wine. Instead he met a dull fat man in an unromantic location. Ausable guessed Fowler’s disappointment. Ausable and Fowler spent the evening in a French music hall. Fowler was feeling bored. Ausable informed him that he would soon receive an important paper. The paper might affect the course of history. It had also made many men and women risk their lives. He had got a telephone call making an appointment in his room.

When both Ausable and Fowler entered Ausable’s room and switched on the light after closing the door, they saw a man with a pistol standing half way across the room. Fowler was thrilled. Ausable was surprised to see Max (another secret agent belonging to another agent’s organization) in his room. Ausable was surprised to see Max in France as according to the information he had, Max was supposed to be in Berlin. Max was thin but not very tall. He appeared clever and cunning like a fox. On being asked, Max informed him that he had come there at the odd hour to take from him the prospective report about some new missiles.

Ausable sat on an armchair in a serious and angry mood. He started saying that it was the second time in a month that somebody had got into his room through a balcony. Max here clarifies that he did not enter Ausable explained that the balcony belonged to the next apartment which used to be the living room. He further tells him that his room and the next apartment were earlier a larger unit. Now, the unit has been divided, but the balcony still exists. The management had done nothing to block the balcony.

Max asked Fowler to sit down, rather than stand stiffly for half an hour till the report arrived. Ausable was at a loss to find how Max had learnt about the incoming report. Max asked Ausable how his people had got that report. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Fowler jumped at it. Ausable informed Max that it was the police whom he had called for extra protection. This information makes Max nervous. As the knocking was repeated loudly , Max threatened Austable to ask the police to go away or he would shoot him. Ausable told Max that the Police would enter the room any way and shoot if he did not open the door. 

Max got infuriated and started backing swiftly towards the window. He opened the window with one hand behind. He wanted to escape through the balcony. He informed Ausable that he would wait in the balcony. He would shoot and take his chances if Ausable did not send the Police away. The knocking became louder Somebody called Ausabie repeatedly. Max dropped to the balcony, screamed loudly and died.

A waiter entered the room with a bottle and two glasses set on a tray, the drink ordered by Ausable. Fowler was shocked now he wanted to know where was the police and how Max would get arrested. Ausable explained that he was waiting for the waiter and not for the Police. Fowler was still worried that Max would return with a pistol but Ausable reassured him that Max would not return because there was no balcony and Max had jumped to his death  as the room was on the sixth floor.

Word Meanings

About Mrs Shilpi Nagpal

Author of this website, Mrs. Shilpi Nagpal is MSc (Hons, Chemistry) and BSc (Hons, Chemistry) from Delhi University, B.Ed. (I. P. University) and has many years of experience in teaching. She has started this educational website with the mindset of spreading free education to everyone. In addition to this website, author also has a Youtube channel, here is the link Class Notes Youtube Channel

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February 24, 2024 at 11:54 am

Thanks for the summary and meaning of hard words.

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Definition of midnight noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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Definition of 'midnight'

Video: pronunciation of midnight

midnight in British English

Midnight in american english, examples of 'midnight' in a sentence midnight, more idioms containing midnight, cobuild collocations midnight, trends of midnight.

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Word Meaning, Summary, Important Questions Of Chapter 3 The Midnight Visitor | Class 10

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Hindi Meaning Of Difficult Words | Chapter 3 The Midnight Visitor

About The Poet | Chapter 3 The Midnight Visitor

INTRODUCTION

The lesson gives a hint that looks and appearance may be deceptive. Efficiency and presence of mind does not depend on looks. Ausable was not at all match up with a general perception of a secret agent we heard of or seen in movies or magazines. He did not try to overpower his competitor. On the contrary he sat on the chair, with no sign of fear or anxiety. He defeated his rival agent by his sharp intellect. He took advantage of knowing at the door and convinced his enemy to hide himself. Max was not suspicious of his intentions, and entrapped in Ausable’s plan.

Short Summary Of Chapter 2 The Thief In English

Ausable was a secret agent but he did not look like that. He was very fat but not much tall. Still he was much alert in his mind. Ausable had a room on the sixth floor in a French hotel. Fowler was a writer. Ausable told him that he would get an important report that night. Fowler visited Ausable he wanted to learn about the life of a secret agent. He was a young writer. Ausable could comprehend that Flower has different perception for secret agent as he had seen in magazines and movies. Fowler was surprised to see a secret agent, Ausable who was too fat to be a secret agent. Ausable told him that he was going to get an important paper for which many men have risked their lives. Fowler saw Max who threatened. Fowler with a pistol demanding the report. Ausable handled Max cleverly. He told Max that he would complain to the hotel authorities about the balcony which should be closed immediately.

Then, there was a loud knocking at the door. Ausable smiled and told that was the police. Max got nervous. His face was black with anger. He asked Ausable to send the police back. In the meantime he would go and wait in the balcony. Max jumped into the balcony which was supposed be under the window. This was how Ausable got rid of Max.

TITLE JUSTIFICATION

The story ‘The Midnight Visitor’ revolves around the sudden intrusion of Max. He came to take away important papers from Ausable. Both were assigned the same task. However Ausable was smarter and made a fool of Max. Fowler, a writer came to understand the thrilling experience of a secret agent. He witnessed a moment which was least expected from there.

In this story, Ausable is a detective. Fowler is a writer who wants to write a book on detectives. But after meeting Ausable, Fowler is very disappointed as Ausable is a very man and he does not match any details that Fowler has fat read in the books about the detectives. When they reach at Ausable’s room, Fowler gets thrilled to find another person named Max inside the room with a gun in his hand. Max looks like a fox. Max comes there to take report about the missiles from him. Ausable deceives Max and tells him about the nuisance caused by the balcony near his window. Then Ausable tells that last month also someone entered through the balcony in his room. Max believes him and when someone knocks at the door, Ausable says that it might be police. Max gets frightened and he tries to hide behind the window but he falls down and cries loudly. There is no police at the door, but he is a waiter who fetches two glasses and a bottle of wine. Thus Max has fallen down from a room on the sixth floor.

The lesson gives a strong message to be calm and composed in difficult times. Ausable wasn’t prepared for sudden intrusion and mal intentions of Max, but when he learnt the truth; he took advantage of the situation and immediately made up his mind to overpower Max. Fowler was surprised at the outcome and really had a thrilling experience where a secret agent saved documents facing life threats. The danger of life did not deter him. 

CHARACTER SKETCH

Ausable is the central and interesting character in the story. He is unlike other secret agents. He is a very fat man with American accent although he has been living in Paris for twenty years. He speaks French and

German passably. As his profession demands, he has a sharp and witty mind. He handles Max intelligently and overpowers him. Max falls into a prey to Ausable’s made up story. He is so convincing that Fowler couldn’t understand his tactfulness. Moreover, he never loses his presence of mind.

Max is a secret agent other than Ausable. He tries to take away important documents from Ausable. The document is crucial because it carries information concerning some new missiles. He intrudes into Ausable’s room with a pass key. He is saddened to learn when Ausable frames a fake story about a balcony. He is thin, tall crafty and gullible. He is carrying a gun in his hand. However, he is duped by Ausable. He is easily fooled and gives up to tricks of Ausable. Max grows panicked when he learns that police is waiting outside to keep a check on the safety of documents. Unknowingly he jumps from the window.

Fowler is a young and romantic writer who is looking for some excitement in the company of a secret agent like Ausable. Ausable is different than expected. He informs Ausable about the importance of documents he is carrying. When Fowler enters his room, he finds Max pointing out gun at them. Fowler’s looks at the window to which Ausable reveals about intrusion even before. Fowler is scared of intention of Max as he jumps at the sudden knocking at the door. He is involved and believed the made up story of Ausable. He is shocked and is stammering at the arrival of a waiter rather than police. He is still expecting Max from balcony and is in total shock about the fate of Max.

Musty-smelly:

Gloomy-sorrowful;

Let down- disappointed;

Setting-stand;

Accent- pronunciation;

Wheezily- with a wheezing sound;

Passably- reasonably:

Missiles- weapons;

Slender-slim;

Crafty-clever:

Manacing- terrifying:

 Authentic-genuine;

Wheezed- spoke breathing noisily and heavily:

Thrill-suspense;

Affect the course of history-change what happens;

Espionage-spying;

Sloopy-muddy:

Slipped- fallen;

Prosaic-flavorless;

Chuckled-laughed quietly;

 Envisioned-visualized;

White faced-pale from fear;

Shrilly- piercingly;

Deftly- dexterously;

Uncorked- unpacked;

Evilly-a bad manner;

Moodily- cheerlessly:

Passkey-a master key;

Grimly-gravely:

Explanatorily- explaining:

Block off-closed.

TYPE I: REFERENCE TO CONTEXT (VERY SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS)

TYPE II: SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (30-40 WORDS EACH)

Answer the following questions:

• Why was Fowler disappointed on meeting Ausable?

Ans. Fowler was a writer. When he had made an appointment with Ausable, he had hoped that a secret agent must be dealing in espionage and danger Fowler had imagined many adventures in the might Unfortunately, all that Fowler could meet was a fat man who looked least like a detective. The time that Fowler spent with Ausable was dull and boring until the entry of Max.

• Why did Fowler visit Ausable? Why was he shocked?

Ans. Fowler was a writer and he had come to meet Ausable. His first authentic thrill of the day came when he saw a man in Ausable’s room pointing a pistol towards Ausable and him.

• How was Ausable different from general perspective for detectives?

Ans. Secret agents are usually presented as well-built with a cigar and execute death-defying stunts. However, Ausable was an exception to this appearance of a secret agent. He confessed that Fowler must be disappointed after meeting him.

• How successfully Ausable concocted a convincing story?

Ans. Ausable creates a detailed description of how his office was part a bigger apartment and how the next room had a direct connection with balcony. His statement that somebody else also broke into his office through that balcony earlier made it a convincing story. Ausable’s ability to think quickly and calmly in a situation of panic made it convincing.

• ‘ White-faced, Fowler started after him. Why did Fowler’s face turn white?

Ans. Ausable made up a story of a balcony outside the room and as there was a knock at the door. He said that it would be the police. All these made Max desperate. He became restless and without seeing below, jumped out of the window. However, he was surprised to learn that it was just a waiter. Only then he realized that Ausable was very cool and composed even when he was framing a fake story.

• “And as the light came on, Fowler had his first authentic thrill of the day”. Why was he thrilled?

Ans. He was thrilled because when Fowler entered Ausable’s room, they saw Max, another secret agent standing in the room with a pistol leveled at them. Ausable blinked a few time facing the danger as he could not expect Max to be there. Max was slender not tall, and with a face that suggested the look of a fox. Except for the gun, he did not look very dangerous, thus gave him his first authentic thrill. It happened unexpectedly to him.

• Why had Fowler come to see Ausable?

Ans. Fowler was a young writer. He was full of inugination and he had wanted to meet Ausable, a renowned secret agent. Fowler wanted to know how Ausable tackled dangerous situation. He was disappointed when he saw Ausable, as he didn’t fit any description of a secret agent Fowler had ever read.

• Describe Fowler’s reaction after entering Ausable’s hotel room.

Ans. Initially, Ausable got a shock to see Max in his room. But he remained calm. He sat on the chair and said that he was very angry with the hotel’s management. Max and Fowler listened to Ausable. Ausable tuned to the open window and said that he thought Mac had entered his room through the window.

• What great qualities made Ausable a successful secret agent?

Ans. Ausable was a secret agent. He was a cool and active minded.

• Why was Fowler disappointed in seeing Ausable?

Ans. Ausable did not look like a secret agent. He was fat and short. He was not like the other agents.

• Why did Ausable frame the story of the balcony?

Ans. Ausable framed a story to get out of a dangerous situation. He knew the intentions of Max so he saved himself.

• Why did Max enter Ausable’s room? How did he do so?

Ans. Max entered Ausable’s room to steal some report of new missile. He entered his room by using a pass key.

• How do you know that Ausable was an intelligent secret agent?

Ans. Ausable was intelligent secret agent, as he could easily fabricate stories before his enemies and killed them without using weapons.

• What was the most astonishing quality of Ausable?

Ans. When Max pointed a gun at Ausable, he remained calm and cool, and forced Max to believe him. He showed great presence of mind in a situation of danger and surprise.

• Who actually had knocked at the door of Ausable’s room? Why did he come there?

Ans. The waiter had knocked at the door of Ausable’s room. He had brought the drinks which Ausable had ordered.

• How does Ausable manage to make Max believe that there is a balcony attached to his room?

Ans. Ausable creates a detailed description of how his office was part of a bigger apartment and how the next door room had a direct connection with the balcony. His statement that somebody else had also broken into his office through that balcony made it a convincing story.

TYPE III: LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (100-120 WORDS EACH)

Ans. Ausable is different from other secret agents in more than one way. He had a small room in the musty corridor of a gloomy French hotel. It was on the sixth and top floor and it was scarcely the setting for a romantic adventure. He was extremely fat. In spite of living in Paris for over twenty years, he spoke French and German with difficulty and had an American accent. Instead of getting messages passed secretly to him by beautiful girls, he t only a routine telephone call making an appointment. In these ways, he was different from the conventional notion of a secret agent.

He dealt with Max by inventing some false stories and convincing Max to act on them, so that he could get rid of Max permanently.

• Why did Ausable feel that Fowler had been ‘bored”?

Ans. Ausable knew the fact that Fowler might have a different perspective for secret agent. The detectives are presented as smart, surrounded by back eyed beauties. They must get secret messages, taking risk of their lives. Whereas, Ausable’s appearance is just opposite to the general perspective. He lived in gloomy French hotel which is scarcely in accordance to the romantic adventure. His accent was American was dumpily dressed. He received a telephone call for appointment. Thus Ausable was breaking the illusion of a glamorous and adventurous as presented on the movies.

Yet he assured him that he did everything that was expected from a secret agent.

• What was the reaction of Ausable when he found Max in his room? What was the motive of Max?

Ans. When Ausable entered the room with Fowler, he found Max standing there. He came with a small automatic pistol in his hand. Fowler was shocked to see the encroacher, whereas Ausable remained calm and composed. He told Max that he was shocked to see him there as he was expecting Max to be in Berlin.

Max declared his intentions and assured that he came to take secret report regarding missiles. Ausable was unmoved and concocted a false story about the balcony and altruisms in his room. He presented the story with so much of conviction that Max fell a prey to it and was trapped.

• What information did Ausable give about the imaginary balcony? Why did he do so?

Ans. Ausable was a clever agent. Once, when he entered his room, he found Max was in his room. He framed a story about the balcony which did not exist. After sometime there was a knock at the door and Ausable said that he had called the police to have an extra protection. Max took the whole story as a gospel of truth. He reached to window sill and jumped down the balcony which never existed.

• Ausable was a clever secret agent. Do you agree with the statement? Justify your answer.

Ans. Ausable was a smart, intelligent, cool and sharp mind person but he was very fat and short. He spoke with an American accent but he could speak German and French. He was quick witted and had a great presence of mind, as he was able to frame a fake story – A police story and the balcony story to befool Max The story was so convincing that Max believed that the balcony actually existed and he jumped out of it Thus, Ausable showed that he was quit dangerous for other agents.

• What fake story was made by Ausable in the hotel room? What made it a convincing story?

Ans. Ausable was a clever secret agent. One day he was visited by a writer that was eager to learn about his life. When he entered his room, he found Max in his room who aimed at him with a pistol. Ausable didn’t lose his courage as he was a quick witted man. He fabricated a story about a balcony which extended under his room window. Just then there was a knocking at the door and Ausable said that he had called the police to have extra protection as they were having an important paper with them. Max took the whole story as a gospel of truth. He retraced his steps, reached the window- sill and jumped down the balcony which never existed.

QUESTIONS FOR PRACTICE

• How did Max get into Ausable’s room?
• Why did the writer visit the secret agent?
• How fishy is the story of the balcony?
• Describe the role played by the imaginary balcony in getting rid of Max.
• Ausable proved himself to be a real secret agent’. Justify.

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• CBSE Notes For Class 10
• CBSE Class 10 English Notes
• Chapter 3 The Midnight Visitor

The Midnight Visitor Summary & Notes - CBSE Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet

Summary of the midnight visitor.

Chapter 3 of the Class 10 English Supplementary Reader ‘Footprints Without Feet’ consists of a prose piece titled The Midnight Visitor. This is a story about how a witty detective outwits another agent with his composure. We have followed the CBSE English Notes Class 10 format while drafting the prose summary. CBSE Class 10 students can access the CBSE Class 10 English Prose Notes & Summary – The Midnight Visitor as they gear up for their Board exams.

Students can also practice  CBSE Essays  on various topics to improve their writing section for the English exam.

CBSE Class 10 English The Midnight Visitor Summary

The Midnight Visitor is a detective story written by Robert Arthur. The story is about a quick-witted secret agent Ausable. One day, he and his writer friend Fowler had gone out to spend an evening together. As the two men talked, Ausable told him that Fowler must have imagined him to be a secret agent who dealt with espionage and danger and envisioned mysterious figures in the night, the crack of pistols and drugs in the wine. On the contrary, when Fowler met Ausable, he found the latter to be a chubby-looking spy who spoke French and German moderately with an American accent ever since he moved from Paris to Boston twenty years ago.

Soon, both of them headed towards Ausable’s room; he unlocked the door and switched on the light. When they entered the room, Fowler was startled to see a man holding a small automatic pistol halfway across the room. Ausable immediately recognised the other man to be Max, a secret agent. Max had come to demand the report related to missiles that Ausable was expecting. Meanwhile, Fowler was in a state of shock, and this was by far the most audacious experience for him to meet a secret agent in such a manner.

In the meantime, Ausable began his hypothetical story of the balcony beneath the window of the room to divert Max’s attention. Just then, somebody knocked at the door, and it continued until the thumping became louder and more frequent. Ausable said that the police might have come to visit him as they did on a regular basis. Hearing this, Max was confused, and while he pointed his gun towards the other two men in the room, he said he would wait on the balcony until the police left.

Max warned that he would shoot them if they didn’t listen to him. Saying so, he jumped out of the window, and suddenly there was a loud scream. Meanwhile, Ausable opened the door, and the waiter brought some wine that he had ordered. The waiter kept the wine bottle, glasses and tray on the top of the table and left. Fowler was surprised to see all this and asked him about the police. To this, Ausable lied about the police as he was trying to intimidate Max. Fowler again asked that Max must be waiting on the balcony, to which Ausable said there was no balcony attached to his window. He cooked up the entire story about the balcony in order to convince Max to believe him, which he blindly did.

This story exhibits how quick-witted Ausable took advantage of the dangerous situation and was successful in making Max nervous. Distraught, Max jumped out of the window and fell to his death unknowingly. Although Ausable didn’t look like a well-groomed spy like we see in movies, he was an ingenious secret agent. He outwitted Max and successfully saved himself and his friend, Fowler, from a life-threatening situation.

Conclusion of The Midnight Visitor

The Midnight Visitor illustrates the fact that one should not panic in a critical situation but rather stay focused to take a wise step in averting the problems with a good presence of mind. We are hoping this CBSE Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Prose Summary of The Midnight Visitor has helped students to get a detailed insight into the chapter. You can also check BYJU’S for useful resources on CBSE Notes and CBSE study material and access different years’ question papers. Download BYJU’S: The Learning App for more engaging content.

Frequently Asked Questions on CBSE Class 10 English: The Midnight Visitor

Who is the author of ‘the midnight visitor’.

The author of the story ‘The Hundred Dresses’ is Robert Arthur.

Why is it necessary to always have a good presence of mind?

The presence of the mind is very important in every aspect of life, which means having self-control in stressful situations along with the ability to think and act calmly even if chaos or conflict surrounds us.

What are the main reasons for intimidation?

People can be intimidated for many reasons, such as reputation, body and verbal language, unpredictability, reputation or uncertainty about the value they have to the other person.

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Taylor Swift releases ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ double album ahead of Record Store Day: Highlights

Catch up on all things 'The Tortured Poets Department':

• Fans celebrated Swift's midnight release of "The Tortured Poets Department" with listening parties and themed gatherings . Many critics praised Swift in their reviews.
• Swift surprised fans at 2 a.m. ET with news of 15 extra songs.
• The album features collaborations with Post Malone and Florence + the Machine. Swift described writing the album as deeply personal. "Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it," she said.
• NBC News' resident Swifties stayed up to blog the biggest takeaways after the album's release.

Vinyl industry rep says pandemic-era manufacturing bottlenecks have eased

"The Tortured Poets Department" is set to be released in special-edition "ghost"-colored vinyl, available both directly through Swift's website and exclusively at Target.

During the pandemic, that might have alarmed vinyl record buyers. As vinyl plants shuttered and employees were sidelined, vinyl production ground to a halt, causing reports of weekslong backlogs and orders going unfulfilled outright.

But in an interview with NBC News on Friday, Dustin Blocker, president of the Vinyl Records Manufacturing Association, said those issues have been resolved and that suppliers now have more than enough capacity to handle any orders coming their way, including massive ones like Swift's.

"In Q3 2023, we saw the [production] timeline start to go back to normal," Blocker said. "And in Q4 it really got back to normal. Now, everyone, including the huge plants, takes only 8-12 weeks [to produce] ... so it's very good news for everyone."

Blocker said any price increases on the supply side sparked by the bottlenecks have essentially reversed.

So, the $40 price tag on the Target edition of "TTPD" is most likely the result of choices made by Swift, her label and the retailer, he said.

Jack Antonoff is sharing BTS pics

Saba Hamedy

Jack Antonoff is giving Swifties what they want: more content.

The Bleachers frontman, who is also Swift’s longtime collaborator and friend, shared pictures of Swift and collaborators on the album, including Florence Welch .

The acting U.S. secretary of labor has a question for Taylor

Acting U.S. Labor Department Secretary Julie Su has a key question for Taylor Swift and her "Tortured Poets Department":

"Is this department unionized?" she wrote in a post on X .

Su, 55, has served as acting secretary since March 2023; she has faced stumbling blocks to being confirmed full time for the role over her perceived pro-union bias .

Destin celebrates Swift shoutout

Nicole Duarte

The city of Destin, Florida, is here for the Swiftie boost.

Google searches for the beach town shot up minutes after Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” was released. The album mentions Destin in the song “Florida!!!” featuring Florence + The Machine.

The city is celebrating the shoutout:

As is Destin's mayor:

Trump gets a question on Taylor

Vaughn Hillyard

A reporter who is part of the pool following Donald Trump on Friday at his hush money trial was able to get in a question to the former president about the new albums.

Trump didn't engage.

Taylor Swift reveals ‘Dateline’ as an inspiration for ‘Florida!!!’

Maddie Ellis, TODAY

Taylor Swift has taken over radio stations, from Channel 13 on SiriusXM to iHeartRadio briefly renaming itself to iHeartTaylor and sharing messages from the songwriter.

Swift revealed in a soundbite played on iHeartRadio that “Florida!!!” — the eighth track of the album and featuring Florence + the Machine — was inspired by “Dateline.”

“I’m always watching, like ‘Dateline,’” Swift said with a laugh. “People, you know, have these crimes that they commit where they immediately skip town and go to Florida. They try to reinvent themselves, have a new identity, blend in.”

It’s the same with heartbreak, she said.

“I think when you go through a heartbreak, there’s a part of you that thinks, ‘I want a new name. I want a new life,’” she said.

Or perhaps in Swift’s case — a new era?

Read more at TODAY.com.

The double album appeared to avoid leaks

Kaetlyn Liddy

The standard edition of "The Tortured Poets Department" is said to have been leaked ahead the album's release. The origin of the apparent leaks is unclear, but none of the songs on the extended "anthology" version of the album seem to have been compromised.

Leaks of major artists' work sometimes occur when physical copies of the album arrive prematurely at record stores or department stores, before the tracks are released on streaming platforms. Fans suspect the surprise drop of the double album was a factor in the 15 extra tracks avoiding leaks.

The extra content was so unexpected that the lyrics of the anthology version have yet to be uploaded to Spotify .

‘The Tortured Poets Department’ broke a Spotify record in 12 hours

"The Tortured Poets Department" is already Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day this year, edging out Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" in less than 12 hours, Spotify confirmed to NBC News.

Swift currently holds the all-time record for most streams in a day by album and by artist for 2022's "Midnights."

Who are The Blue Nile? About the Scottish band named by Swift

In the album's ninth track — "Guilty as Sin?" — Swift name-drops a beloved '80s Scottish band, The Blue Nile.

"Drowning in The Blue Nile. He sent me 'Downtown Lights.' I hadn’t heard it in a while," Swift says in the song.

"Downtown Lights," released in 1989, was the peak of The Blue Nile's commercial success in the U.S., with the song reaching No. 10 on the Billboard American Modern Rock Tracks chart. 1989 is also Swift's birth year and the title of her fifth studio album.

Known for their avoidance of publicity, The Blue Nile has released just four albums since forming in 1981.

Fans share their theories and joy on social media

It wouldn't be a new Taylor Swift album without fans wondering who it's about or decoding the names mentioned in each song. (Who is Cassandra , Taylor?)

That speculation will surely continue, but now that the album is out, fans can't believe their luck. Reactions on social media praised the sonic and lyrical range of the album, saying that "everybody gets everything," whether you listen to Swift for her synth-pop hits or her intimate folk songs.

Author and creator John Green couldn't wait to wake up his daughter to tell her she gets 31 new Taylor Swift songs today.

By the numbers: Will Taylor Swift break her own album sales marks?

Dania Kalaji

“The Tortured Poets Department” blasted to No. 1 on the U.S. iTunes album sales chart following its release. But will it live up to the success of her previous discography?

Here are all of Swift’s bestselling albums in the U.S. ranked to date, according to data from the Recording Industry Association of America.

“Fearless” (2008): 10 million units

“1989” (2014): 9 million units

“Red” (2012): 7 million units

“Taylor Swift” (2006): 7 million units

“Speak Now” (2010): 6 million units

“Reputation” (2017): 3 million units

“Lover” (2019): 3 million units

“Midnights” (2022): 2 million units

“Folklore” (2020): 2 million units

“The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection” (2008): 1 million units

“Evermore” (2020): 1 million units

TikTok rolls out new features to celebrate new album

Daysia Tolentino

As Swifties show their love for "The Tortured Poets Department" on TikTok, they have the chance to be featured in a "Fan Spotlight" carousel that highlights videos with the #TORTUREDPOETSDEPARTMENT hashtag.

TikTok released a "Taylor Swift In-App Experience" that serves as a landing page for all things "TTPD." Fans can complete challenges in exchange for limited-edition "TTPD" profile frames and some Taylor-related searches unlock animations inspired by the album. Searches for "Taylor Swift," "Taylor Nation," and "The Tortured Poets Department" lead fans to the landing page.

The features are particularly notable because Swift's music was pulled off the platform earlier this year as part of a disput between TikTok and Universal Music Group, though many of her tracks returned earlier this month .

Fans on TikTok have already been loving "TTPD," sharing numerous theories , tears and rankings .

Swift's song 'Fortnight' with Post Malone hits No. 1 on Apple

Jason Abbruzzese

That didn't take long.

The song "Fornight" off Swift's new album quickly hit No. 1 on Apple's top song chart. It features rapper and singer Post Malone.

Swift also took the next four spots with "The Tortured Poets Department," "So Long, London," "My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toy," and "Down Bad."

The National's Aaron Dessner on working with Swift: 'some of the most lyrically acute, intricate, vulnerable and cathartic' songs

Aaron Dessner, a musician who is part of the rock band The National, posted to Instagram about working with Swift on the album along with a pic of her in a studio.

He said that he has now worked with swift on more than 60 songs, including 17 across her newest release.

"I am forever grateful to Taylor for sharing her insane talents with and trusting me with her music. I believe these songs are some of the most lyrically acute, intricate, vulnerable and cathartic Taylor has ever written and I am continually astonished by her skills as a songwriter and performer," he wrote, adding in thanks to a long list of other artists and producers.

Will Swift break her own streaming records?

The October 2022 release of Swift's 10th studio album, "Midnights" shattered records on Spotify and Apple Music.

"Midnights" became Spotify's most-streamed album in a single day with 184.6 million streams when it debuted. Swift also broke the record for most-streamed artist in a single day on Spotify with 228 million streams.

The album also become the biggest album of all time by a female artist in Apple Music history by first-day and first-week streams worldwide.

Can Swift outdo herself?

Will Swift's album inspire a new college course?

As Swift became increasingly synonymous with American pop culture, universities around the country started creating entire courses dedicated to studying her lyricism and impact.

Some courses focus on Swift as a business and marketing mastermind, while others analyze her storytelling techniques with all the detail and skill of poetry analysis.

Time will tell whether this new album will inspire yet another college course. Our guess is with all the literary references, it's sure to be on some professors minds.

Read more in NBC News' article here .

Saturday is Record Store Day

The release of "The Tortured Poets Department" will come just in time for a notable day in the music industry calendar: Record Store Day on April 20. The annual event has been observed since 2007 to celebrate independent record stores and is often accompanied by exclusive drops by major artists.

Swift has yet to announce a special event, but the date is marked in the TTPD Timetable on her Instagram, suggesting she might have something up her sleeve.

Swift describes new album: 'Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it.'

Patrick Smith

Taylor Swift has offered fans a glimpse into the creative process behind "The Tortured Poets Society" and the emotions that inspired it.

In a press release Friday morning to accompany the new release, the artist said:

"The Tortured Poets Department. An anthology of new works that reflect events, opinions and sentiments from a fleeting and fatalistic moment in time — one that was both sensational and sorrowful in equal measure.

"This period of the author’s life is now over, the chapter closed and boarded up. There is nothing to avenge, no scores to settle once wounds have healed. And upon further reflection, a good number of them turned out to be self-inflicted.

"This writer is of the firm belief that our tears become holy in the form of ink on a page. Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it.

"And then all that’s left behind is the tortured poetry."

To sleep or stream? Swifties question staying up even later

Can you wait until the morning to listen to the 15 extra songs on Swift's anthology?

If you answered no, you're not alone. Online, fans joked that they didn't expect to get this little shut eye.

Among the fans: Gen Z Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla.

"I got votes in the morning. Do I sleep or listen" he wrote .

Others had similar thoughts.

"TAYLOR I HAVE A JOB OH MY GOD" wrote one fan, tagging the artist on X .

"lol Taylor I have to get up early to run errands before work please" wrote another X user.

Leave it to Swift to give us adrenaline to keep us all up a little longer.

'The Tortured Poets Department' becomes Swift's longest album

With the surprise release of 15 additional songs, "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology" has 31 tracks.

That now makes it Swift's longest album, edging ahead of "Red (Taylor's Version)" by just one track.

A list of all 15 of the extra 'Anthology' songs

• “The Black Dog”
• “imgonnagetyouback”
• “The Albatross”
• “Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus”
• “How Did It End?”
• “So High School”
• “I Hate It Here”
• “thanK you aiMee”
• “I Look in People’s Windows”
• “The Prophecy”
• “Cassandra”
• “The Bolter”
• “The Manuscript”

Surprise: a double album!

"The Tortured Poets Department" is a secret DOUBLE album.

In a 2 a.m. ET surprise, Swift announced an extra 15 songs.

"I’d written so much tortured poetry in the past 2 years and wanted to share it all with you, so here’s the second installment of TTPD: The Anthology," she wrote on X . "15 extra songs. And now the story isn’t mine anymore… it’s all yours."

It's 2 a.m.

Now what, Taylor?

ICYMI: Swift's powerhouse publicist Tree Paine gets profiled by WSJ

Swift's longtime publicist, Tree Paine, whom many fans know by name, was the subject of a lengthy Wall Street Journal article published Thursday ahead of the new album's release.

While she declined to be interviewed for the story, it delves into how she became one of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry since she joined Swift's camp in 2014.

“There isn’t a publicist in NY, LA or Nashville that wouldn’t jump at an opportunity to work with someone as talented as Taylor Swift and her management team,” Paine said at the time, according to the New York Post .

Read the full story here.

Couples are now wary of Swift's 'Lover' as a love song

Elena Nicolaou, TODAY

“Lover” — at least until recently — was widely received as one of Swift’s classic love songs. When the album of the same name came out in 2019, its title single was declared  first dance song material , or even a “ wedding waltz .”

In the song, Swift paints a portrait of quiet intimacy. Her wild “Red” days, of thrilling romances with highs and lows and uncertainties in between, had settled into something steadier with one person, captured by a simple chorus: “You’re my, my, my, my lover.”

But that interpretation is now in question, as Swift recasts some of her songs in a different light. Ahead of the release of “The Tortured Poets Department,”  she released five playlists on Apple Music , sorting old songs into groups inspired by the five stages of grief, or “heartbreak.”

Aaron Dessner is credited as a songwriter on five of 16 tracks

Dessner, who is a member of the bands The National and Big Red Machine, is one of two producers who worked on "The Tortured Poets Department."

He's credited as a songwriter on five of the 16 tracks on the standard album.

Dessner first collaborated with Swift on her eighth studio album, “Folklore,” for which he shared in the Grammy win for album of the year. He made several guest appearances with Swift on the U.S. leg of the Eras Tour, joining her onstage during the acoustic set for performances of songs they wrote together.

Here's what some critics are saying in their reviews

Angela Yang

The critics have spoken. Here's a roundup of some of their takeaways on "The Tortured Poets Department."

Billboard ’s Jason Lipshutz praised Swift’s boldness for releasing a “knowingly messy, wildly unguarded breakup album” at what’s arguably the peak of her career. It's more mature than her past heartbreak albums, he writes, and “not everyone will love it, but the ones who get it will adore it fiercely.”

Variety ’s Chris Willman wrote that the album can serve as an “unapologetically dramatic” soundtrack to listeners’ own heartbreaks.

Labeling it Swift’s most personal album yet, Rolling Stone ’s Rob Sheffield described it as “the cathartic confession of a woman who thought she had adulthood — and adult romance — all figured out, only to find herself realizing she knows nothing.”

And unlike on past albums, Swift doesn’t portray herself as a victim in this one, wrote the Los Angeles Times ’ Mikael Wood. Instead, the album emanates “a proudly villainous energy as Swift embraces her messiest and most chaotic tendencies.”

Jack Antonoff, Swift's longtime collaborator, posts love for album

Antonoff, Swift’s longtime collaborator and friend, shared his love for the new album on X .

"Love this album more than I can say," wrote Antonoff, who worked on “The Tortured Poets Department” as a producer.

Antonoff also co-wrote eight of the album's tracks.

Swifties are starting to post reax on X

In typical fashion after a Swift album drops, reactions from fans are pouring in online, and they TEND TO COME IN ALL CAPS.

As any Swiftie will tell you, listening to new music from the artist always proves to be a collective emotional experience.

Spotify appears to be holding it together (so far)

The last time Swift debuted a brand-new album, Spotify crashed. No major issues so far this time around.

Shoutout to the engineers and people behind the scenes who are probably working overtime to make sure Swifties don't panic.

We have a new countdown

Don’t go to bed yet! Taylor Swift’s Instagram page is displaying a new countdown to 2 a.m. ET. This wasn't on the timetable ...

Swift releases statement after album drop

In her first social media post after “The Tortured Poets Department” was released, Swift shared a statement about the album online.

These songs reflect her experiences from a moment in time that was equally “sensational and sorrowful,” she wrote, adding that it is a chapter now closed.

“Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it,” Swift wrote. “And then all that’s left behind is the tortured poetry.”

Who is Clara Bow?

Daniel Arkin

The 16th and final track on the album is named for Clara Bow, one of the leading lights of Hollywood’s silent era.

Bow, unlike a lot of stars from the 1920s, managed to successfully pivot to roles in talkies by the end of the decade. She co-starred in “Wings” (1927), which today is probably best known as the first movie to win the Oscar for best picture.

I’m not a Swiftie, so I don’t have much insight into how Taylor’s music connects to Bow’s acting career — but I’m curious how this track will be interpreted by the die-hards.

The album is here

BRB, we’re busy listening with the rest of y’all.

You can now choose a Swift-themed chat for your Instagram DMs

Instagram users can now set their direct message conversations to a new chat theme inspired by “The Tortured Poets Department.”

Bars, venues hold special Swift parties

On the eve of Swift’s album drop, event venues across the country (and around the world) hosted release parties so Swifties could get their first listen of the “The Tortured Poets Department” on the dance floor.

At Pianos in New York, music from across Swift’s discography will play until the new album drops at midnight. Attendees are encouraged to come in themed outfits and friendship bracelets, and the bar will be serving Swift-inspired cocktails.

In Los Angeles, El Cid is hosting a listening party complete with fan-made merch, giveaways and a themed wall for photos. Attendees can also expect performances from drag queen Jade Jolie, who appeared in Swift’s “You Need to Calm Down” music video.

Several Swiftie-themed events are also being held across the Washington, D.C., area, according to The Washington Post, which compiled a list .

A Swiftie mom and daughter are hosting their own album party

Kristie Gilmore, 36, is ready to celebrate with her daughter, who was born shortly after Swift's “1989” album and has been a Swiftie ever since.

Gilmore decorated her Boston-area apartment with balloons, signs and stickers in the color palette of “The Tortured Poets Department.” She sprinkled the table with handmade confetti of the album’s logo and made TTPD-themed “membership cards” for themselves and each of her daughter’s friends.

“They’ve been counting down since Taylor announced this album,” Gilmore said, adding, “They’re just hanging out, having a dance party. They’re gonna try to stay up till midnight and listen to it.”

What are the track lengths?

The average track length on “The Tortured Poets Department” is 4 minutes and 4 seconds, making it the third longest album across Swift’s discography.

The longest song is “But Daddy I Love Him,” which clocks in at 5 minutes and 40 seconds.

“I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)” is the shortest song, at 2 minutes and 36 seconds.

Travis Kelce shared his early thoughts about the album

Ahead of the Super Bowl, Swift's boyfriend, Travis Kelce, the star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, weighed in on the new album.

“I have heard some of it, yes. It is unbelievable,”  Kelce said . “I can’t wait for her to shake up the world when it finally drops.”

The couple , who have become the internet's favorite love story , were most recently spotted at Coachella 's first weekend.

Taylor Swift beat reporter speaks to NBC's Hallie Jackson

USA Today’s Taylor Swift reporter , Bryan West, spoke with NBC News about the album drop and all the Easter eggs being spotted by fans.

Swift's music is back on TikTok despite UMG dispute

Kalhan Rosenblatt

Some songs that Swift fans know “All Too Well” returned to TikTok this month, months after they were removed.

The songs were among the many tracks Universal Music Group pulled off TikTok after the label and the platform  failed to reach an agreement  this year. (UMG has no relationship to NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.)

UMG, known as one of the “Big Three” global music companies, cleared its music from TikTok in late January, saying it was doing so because of a lack of compensation for artists and songwriters. TikTok previously fired back at UMG, accusing the company of putting “their own greed above the interests of artists and songwriters.”

The economics of 'The Tortured Poets Department'

Doha Madani

Die-hard Taylor Swift fans will be spending a pretty penny on her latest album release as she releases four variants of the album with one exclusive track each.

Each variant of “The Tortured Poets Department” is named after the bonus song found at the end of the album: “The Manuscript,” “The Bolter,” “The Albatross” and “The Black Dog.” If a fan wanted to collect them all, the minimum for $13.99 CDs at a store would cost at least $55.96 before taxes.

Longtime Swifties are already familiar with her tendency to provide deluxe editions, as anyone who was around for her original “1989” release can recall the Target exclusive that included three bonus tracks and three voice memos recorded by Swift. 

Her “Midnights” release included a Target exclusive track that was added to streaming only months later, and in May she released a new song on “Midnights (The Late Night Edition).” But this is the first time Swift has put an exclusive song on each individual variant, with no clear timeline for when they might be added to streaming. 

2024: The year of Post Malone and the pop girlies

Rebecca Cohen

Fresh off of a collab with Beyoncé on "LEVII'S JEANS" from her now-famed "Cowboy Carter," Post Malone finds himself on another major release of 2024: Swift's "The Tortured Poets Department."

He joins Swift on the album's first song, "Fortnight." Swift announced that "Fortnight" would be the album's lead single and the song for which she is releasing a music video 8 o'clock tomorrow night.

"I’ve been such a huge fan of Post because of the writer he is, his musical experimentation and those melodies he creates that just stick in your head forever," Swift wrote on social media. "I got to witness that magic come to life firsthand when we worked together on Fortnight."

While best known for more rap-focused songs, Post Malone is clearly making the rounds in the pop music scene, having also recently collaborated with Noah Kahan on "Dial Drunk." But his back-to-back appearances on arguably two of the biggest albums from pop artists this year raise the questions: Is Post Malone becoming a pop girlie? Is he just having a moment? Or is it all of the above?

There's a book about Swift's impact headed to bookshelves

Rolling Stone writer and music historian Rob Sheffield's book "Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music" will debut Nov. 12.

He's expected to dive further into Swift’s music and fan connection.

Swifties are celebrating with their own listening parties

Many Swifties are sharing their elaborate party setups online as they prepare to celebrate the album release at home.

Karen Rothdeutsch, 25, has decked out her bedroom in upstate New York with “The Tortured Poets Department”-themed decorations, complete with a platter of homemade cupcakes decorated to match Swift’s various vinyl variants.

“I just made my space a little more immersive for my first listen,” Rothdeutsch told NBC News. “I’ll be sitting in my bed with a box of tissues and a notebook, writing down my thoughts and probably checking into Twitter every so often to see what everybody’s thinking about it.”

She said she procured the decorations over the course of several weeks, but the whole setup cost her less than $100. While she decorates on a budget, she said she did splash out on the vinyl variants and collector’s edition CDs.

Swift's new album is already breaking a Spotify record

Spotify said on X that the “The Tortured Poets Department” became the most pre-saved album countdown page in the streaming service’s history.

Since its launch on March 28, TTPD's countdown page has ticked down to the album’s drop, now just hours away.

Was Swift's Grammys dress a 'Fortnight' Easter egg?

The white gown Swift wore to the 2024 Grammys, where she announced "The Tortured Poets Department," appears to have been an Easter egg.

Swift appears to be wearing a very similar dress in the teaser for the "Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)" music video, which will debut 8 p.m. ET tomorrow.

Swift was also pictured hugging Post Malone at the ceremony. Some fans online pointed out a similar shot of the two singers that appears in the teaser for the music video.

Swift drops 'Fortnight' music video teaser

Swift blessed fans with a teaser for “Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)," the album's first single.

"At this hearing, I stand before my fellow members of The Tortured Poets Department with a summary of my findings. Album tonight. Fortnight music video tomorrow at 8pm et," Swift wrote in a post on X , which was accompanied by a short video clip.

The black-and-white teaser gave a sneak peak of the visuals for the music video. It's a combination of dramatic period gowns and a bleak medical setting in this supercut that is reminiscent of "Poor Things," which Swift's longtime friend Emma Stone recently won the best actress Oscar for.

Swift had announced she'd be dropping a music video at 8 p.m. ET tomorrow by sharing a “TTPD Timetable” on her Instagram page this week.

Merch is here — and already selling out

Hours before the album’s release, themed merchandise for “The Tortured Poets Department” is now available to order online.

The merch drop includes hoodies, crewnecks and gold jewelry branded with the album’s logo. A display case for the album vinyls seemingly sold out within minutes.

ICYMI: The Eras Tour concert film is on Disney+

In case you need something to do as you count down to the new album, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” is on Disney+. Swift announced the film would be available for streaming in February.

The film features all songs from the three Los Angeles tour dates during which it was filmed at SoFi Stadium. They include “cardigan,” as well as four additional acoustic surprise songs from the tour: “I Can See You,” “Maroon,” “You Are in Love” and “Death by a Thousand Cuts.”

Swifties online are freaking out over purported ‘leaks’

The internet was at it again this week, with some online circulating what they said were leaks of Swift's new album. It is unclear from where and when the apparent leaks originated, but one Reddit thread is already filled with commentary.

As early as Tuesday, "taylor swift leak" appeared to be blocked from searches on X. Instead, when a user tried to search the phrase, a blank page popped up with the message, "Something went wrong. Try reloading."

The secret message has been decoded

The sixth and final word of the secret message, “mortem,” was revealed today, hidden in the lyrics of the song “Begin Again.”

The complete secret message is: “We hereby conduct this post mortem.”

In a collaboration with Apple Music, Swift sorted some of her existing songs into thematic playlists , along with audio messages from her.

The messages seemed to confirm some fans’ theories that the playlists mirrored the five stages of grief — denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance — indicating that the new album may grapple with grief or loss. Swift later used a song from each playlist to reveal a hidden word on Apple Music every day leading up to the release of “The Tortured Poets Department.”

Swift sets fans loose on an international puzzle

Swifties had a big day yesterday after murals with QR codes were unveiled in cities around the world, including Mexico City, Paris and Chicago.

Fans stumbled upon the murals, which Swift had not announced, and scanned them to find a link to a YouTube Shorts video. Every mural had a unique code that led to a different video, each revealing a new letter as part of a word puzzle.

Fans came together online to help decode the puzzle, which seemed to hint at the new album's first track, because it spelled out "for a fortnight."

Swifties in Los Angeles flock to Spotify pop-up library

Many Los Angeles Swifties celebrated the new album with a pop-up library installation in partnership with Spotify.

The three-day event, which runs through today at The Grove, featured a sneak peek at some of the album's lyrics.

Fans posted videos of themselves lined up for hours to get a glimpse at the installation.

A manuscript was front and center at the installation, revealing new lyrics periodically as the pages were turned over the course of three days.

Many fans online tried to identify other potential Easter eggs in the pop-up library, such as a bust of a peace sign, quill and fountain pens and a globe that appeared to be pointing to Florida, the name of a track on the album.

Why is the album called 'The Tortured Poets Department'?

Fans were quick to note that “The Tortured Poets Department” is the longest title for a Taylor Swift album by a large margin, a distinction previously held by her third album, "Speak Now." Before "TTPD," "Speak Now" was her only album title consisting of more than one word.

Speculation surrounding the new album and its uncharacteristic title has primarily revolved around Swift’s  2023 breakup  with British actor Joe Alwyn after their six-year relationship.

After the album announcement, a  2022 Variety interview  between Alwyn and Paul Mescal resurfaced on X. The pair revealed in the interview that they were both members of a WhatsApp group chat titled the Tortured Man Club, prompting some fans to  draw parallels  between Alwyn and Swift’s upcoming album.

The true meaning of “The Tortured Poets Department” remains to be seen, but the album's rollout has featured references to famous poems like Charles Baudelaire’s “The Albatross,” among other literary references.

Clues keep coming

Speculation continues to grow over clues for lyrics, song titles and the album’s first music video.

Not much from Miss Swift so far

It's been a notably quiet rollout for "The Tortured Poets Department."

No themed Instagram grid overhaul, no lead singles, not even a cryptic calendar leading Swifties on wild goose chases for potential Easter eggs.

A week before the release, Taylor Swift was rocking out at Coachella instead of feeding her fans who are desperate for a hint of what's to come.

Aside from a hand-painted QR code on the side of a building in Chicago, a planned exhibit at The Grove in Los Angeles in partnership with Spotify and a quick video released Tuesday that appears to leave the "Midnights" era in the dust as viewers tour The Tortured Poets Department, Swift has been silent on what we can expect.

In the video , posted to her Instagram account, we did get a glimpse of a schedule that only showed release day, and on it, the promise of a music video on Friday at 8 p.m. ET. Fourteen tick marks beneath led some to think the music video could be for the 14th track on the album, or for the leading song, "Fortnight," since a fortnight is 14 days.

Swifties believing in the latter theory proved to be correct. Swift announced that the music video would be for "Fortnight" in a Thursday afternoon social media post.

Swifties online continue to grasp for any details to try to figure out what this mastermind might have in store for her beloved fan base.

What songs are on the new album?

Here's what songs are on the track list.

• "Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)"
• "The Tortured Poets Department"
• "My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys"
• "So Long, London"
• "But Daddy I Love Him"
• "Fresh Out the Slammer"
• "Florida!!! (Florence + the Machine)"
• "Guilty as Sin?"
• "Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?"
• "I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)"
• "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart"
• "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived"
• "The Alchemy"
• "Clara Bow"

Swift has also announced four bonus tracks: "The Manuscript," “The Bolter,” “The Albatross” and “The Black Dog.” Each bonus track will be available on a separate vinyl variant and won't be on the streaming version of the album.

When does 'The Tortured Poets Department' drop?

Swift's 11th studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," will be released Friday at 12 a.m. ET, or 9 p.m. PT.

It will be available for purchase on vinyl, on cassette, as a digital album and in CD form. It will also be on several streaming services, including Spotify and Apple Music.

But if you plan to stream “The Tortured Poets Department” right after its release, be prepared for potential delays. When Swift’s most recent brand-new album, “Midnights,” was released, Spotify  briefly crashed  because of intense demand.

Angela Yang is a culture and trends reporter for NBC News.

Doha Madani is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. Pronouns: she/her.

Rebecca Cohen is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.

is culture and trends editor for NBC News Digital.

What's The Real Meaning Of Midnight Rain By Taylor Swift? Here's What We Think

Taylor Swift's devoted fans won't be getting much sleep tonight as her  highly-anticipated new album, "Midnights," has finally arrived . Swift originally announced her newest album at the 2022 VMAs, per Billboard , and has spent the time since stirring up her fan's excitement with teasers on TikTok and Instagram. Now that "Midnights" is out, Swift's fans are buzzing with excitement via social media. "Midnights has big Reputation vibes with a little Lover & 1989 sprinkled in & I'm f***ig HERE FOR IT," tweeted one eager fan.

In the weeks leading up to "Midnights" release, Swift released each track one by one in a series of  TikToks , cleverly entitled "Midnights Mayhem With Me." Swift kicked off the series with  Mastermind,"  on September 20, and saved the last (and most highly anticipated) track, "Snow on the Beach, " featuring Lana Del Rey," for October 7. 

Tucked snugly in between lies "Midnight Rain" — the only track with "midnight" in the title — which Swift revealed on September 27. Given Swift's penchant for layering her song with clever wordplay, "Midnight Rain" could've turned out to be a melancholy breakup song, or another one of her upbeat pop hits. But now that we've gotten the chance to pair melodies and lyrics to the mysterious title, we have a much better idea of what we think "Midnight Rain" is about.

Taylor Swift may have chosen fame over love

When Taylor Swift started doing promo for "Midnights," she first described it as "the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life" on Twitter . If every song is truly autobiographical, then Swift used "Midnight Rain" to tell another side of her romantic history where she's not the heartbroken hopeless romantic. Rather, she's the one doing the heart breaking. During the intro, a haunting voice (that doesn't appear to be Swift's) sings, "Rain/He wanted it comfortable/ I wanted that pain/ He wanted a bride/I was making my own name/Chasing that fame/He stayed the same/All of me changed/Like midnight." This suggests Swift once chose her singing career over a previous relationship. 

Once Swift's voice kicks off the first verse, she paints an even clearer picture, singing of her "wasteland" of a hometown, that was full of "pageant queens and big pretenders," ending it with the highly quotable line, "I broke his heart cause he was nice." After a repeat of the intro, Swift sings of "the life I gave away," possibly hinting at her pre-fame existence. 

However, the end of the song really cements the fact that "Midnight Rain" is about a long lost love. "And he never thinks of me/Except when I'm on TV...And I never think of him/Except on midnights like this," Swift sings. Of course, the Swifties are already on social media  trying to figure how just who this mystery guy is.