Essay
the scrutiny
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In the poem ‘The Scrutiny’, Richard Lovelace was a cavalier poet that focuses on lust rather than lovein this poem, as he forces the woman into a passive position through his creation of a dramatic
monologue structure. Whilst also showing his ability of power during this 17 th century era that was
dominated by men, the presented misogyny and the objectifying imagery of the woman, shows that
the speaker clearly acknowledges the way that a mans reputation will not be affected when sleeping
with a variety of women, yet risks the woman’s reputation with his half hearted promises of
persuasion.
The male speaker presents himself as selfish and arrogant as he breaks his promise in the first
stanza, from the previous evening to keep the opportunity open for him to sleep with other women.
When referring to the previous evening, the speaker even uses a cheeky mockery approach to
dismiss the woman, calling their evening a ‘tedious twelve hours’, by not only suggesting that the
woman is crazy for believing him but using the word ‘tedious’ creates the idea of it being a chore for
him.
However, the speaker also shows discomfort within this argument as he asks ‘did I not love thee’,
this show of discomfort could argue the selfishness of the speaker as rather than ruining a
reputation for the woman, he simply seeks to discover what love actually is and determine it’s
meaning outside of lust.
The speaker refers to the woman throughout the poem as ‘Lady’, this nameless address shows the
selfishness of the speaker as he has not even cared for this woman’s name, as well as the poem
being a dramatic monologue of the speakers point of view, that is overconfident and hyperbolic. By
not allowing the woman to have a voice within the poem, it becomes an imperative message rather
than a conversation as well as exaggerating who is in power between the two genders, whilst also
showing the speakers lack of care for the woman’s perspective further objectifying her. This
carelessness and selfishness is further shown in the rhetorical question ‘why should you swear I am
forsworn?’, this being a rhetorical question sets a cocky tone as well as being dismissive.
This show of dismissiveness and refusal of address could be argued that the speaker is not truly
selfish, he is questioning the meanings of love and attempting to avoid falling in love with this
woman, which he finds easiest through refusal to name her. This refusal to name the woman, whilst
being objectifying and misogynistic, he doesn’t completely refuse to name her, he addresses her as
‘Lady’, which indeed gives a direct address whilst also not directly addressing the woman due to
discomfort of the argument.
As well as not considering the lady’s point of view, the speaker is also objectifying women through
the comparison of their appearance. The speaker suggests that ‘not, but all joy in thy brown hair, by
others may be found’, this shows the speakers selfishness as he reduces her to appearances whilst
encouraging her to sleep with a variety of men. The speaker also exaggerates how he must ‘search
the black and fair like skilful mineralists that sound for treasure in unploughed up ground’, showing
how he seeks virgin women, this emphasises his objectifying of women as well as his carelessness for
their reputation as during this century a woman would be expected to be married before losing her
virginity. The use of the noun ‘treasure’, portrays women as inanimate objects that have no use
further than the eyes.
Whilst this poem has a sense of mockery and irony within, through the misogynistic and objectifying
women opinions, the writer could be suggesting that the entire poem is a hyperbolic joke through a
complex and literate humour. As Lovelace was known for reading his poems to the cavalier poets in
court, this humour could be a form of entertainment amongst men as the cavalier poets were known
for the entertaining complex humour.
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