Which character’s perspective is presented in Taylor Swift’s “august”?

Taylor Swift’s “august” is told from the perspective of an unnamed summer-romance narrator.

The narrator is a girl who becomes involved with James, a 17-year-old boy already connected to Betty. She hopes the relationship might become permanent, but the romance ends when James returns to Betty. The narrator is therefore associated with the “August” side of Folklore’s fictional love triangle.

Unlike the narrators of “Cardigan” and “Betty,” the narrator of “august” is never given a name in the song. Swift said she imagined names such as Augusta or Augustine privately, but neither is an official character name in the lyrics.

This is why answering “Betty” or “James” would identify the wrong viewpoint. Betty narrates “Cardigan,” James narrates “Betty,” and the unnamed girl narrates “august.”