Exploring interpretations of the poem
The Scrutiny by Richard Lovelace
Task one
Consider these statements, all of which have been written about ‘The Scrutiny’ by Richard
Lovelace.


Choose one which you feel sums up an appropriate argument to lead a discussion of the
poem.
Choose one as a valid alternative interpretation and discard the rest.
Once you have chosen a valid interpretation of the poem, find evidence in the poem to support
that view and make any notes about how the evidence fits the interpretation.
‘Lovelace focuses on lust rather than
love in this poem; forces the female
into a passive position by creating a
dramatic monologue structure.’
‘It is a rather nasty poem, cruel, clever,
somehow lacking in real emotion.’
‘I am NO expert on poetry. When I read
it quickly, I understood it to mean [sic]:
I love you, so it doesn't matter how
many other women I have, and I have
them – what I do with/to a gazillion
other women has no effect on you.
What a sleezeball.’
‘Lovelace’s poem is an indication of the
shift in amatory [love] verse from
hyperbolic complement to Restoration
cynicism.’
‘One possible reading of Lovelace’s
treasure metaphor in the third stanza is
that the inconstant lover is collecting
virginities.’
‘Lovelace paradoxically asserts a
demand for a unique individual: he
wants to possess the individual rather
than have the variety.’
© www.teachit.co.uk 2016
25490
Page 1 of 3
Exploring interpretations of the poem
The Scrutiny by Richard Lovelace
Task two
Consider some of the context of Lovelace’s writing:
He was a Cavalier poet, a group of English poets associated with Charles I. Most of the work was
produced 1637-1660. The poetry was a mixture of upper-class sophistication and naivety, and
included courtly themes such as beauty, love, and loyalty.
Poetry was used as a way of expressing ideas and was more than a personal experience.
Lovelace is using the then current idea of a woman as ‘property’ to show how men might engage
in ‘battle’ against other men with courtly civility by ‘plundering’ their possession [fathers,
brothers and husbands]; a woman’s fidelity was highly prized. If, despite all, the woman of the
poem remains faithful, he will return to her as one whose faithfulness has been tested.
1. How far would you agree with this view?
2. Was Lovelace being serious or mocking the real attitudes of courtly behaviour?
Task three
Here is another critical viewpoint, this time about Shakespeare’s ‘Sonnet 116’, also in the
anthology.
‘Undoubtedly one of Shakespeare’s most famous sonnets, Sonnet 116 provides a
quintessential definition of love. Love, according to this sonnet, does not change or
fade; it has no flaws and even outlasts death.’ Felicity Capon
Now that you have explored some critical viewpoints of ‘The Scrutiny’, and one for ‘Sonnet 116’,
have a go at answering the following examination question. You could write about ‘The Scrutiny’
and ‘Sonnet 116’.
You must write about two texts: one prose text and one poetry text (at least two poems must
be covered). One of these texts must be written pre-1900.
Compare how the authors of two texts you have studied present ideas about the enduring
nature of love.
[25 marks]
© www.teachit.co.uk 2016
25490
Page 2 of 3
Exploring interpretations of the poem
The Scrutiny by Richard Lovelace
Teaching notes
There are a number of tasks included in this resource, all of which focus on developing students’
ability to understand critical viewpoints.
Task one
The critical viewpoints are from a number of different sources. The sources are not shared on the
students’ sheet because it could influence their decisions about the relevance of the statement.
There are no answers for this activity; it is designed to get students used to thinking about a poem
from a particular critical standpoint.
Sources of the quotations (hyperlinks are correct at the time of publication):
‘Lovelace focuses on lust rather than love in this poem; forces the female into a passive position by
creating a dramatic monologue structure.’

(17-year-old student view from rhvs.wordpress.com/2016/05/13/the-scrutiny-by-richardlovelace-analysis/)
‘I am NO expert on poetry. When I read it quickly, I understood it to me [sic]: I love you, so it doesn't
matter how many other women I have, and I have them – what I do with/to a gazillion other women
has no effect on you.
What a sleezeball.’

(Yahoo answer from uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130317100012AAiVx9X)
‘Lovelace paradoxically asserts a demand for a unique individual: he wants to possess the individual
rather than have the variety.’
‘Lovelace’s poem is an indication of the shift in amatory [love] verse from hyperbolic complement to
Restoration cynicism.’
‘One possible reading of Lovelace’s treasure metaphor in the third stanza is that the inconstant lover
is collecting virginities.’

(From a thesis by Dosia Reichardt ‘Looking for Lovelace: Identity, style and inheritance in the
poetry of the interrugnum’ from researchonline.jcu.edu.au/1173/2/02whole.pdf )
‘It is a rather nasty poem, cruel, clever, somehow lacking in real emotion.’

(from N.H. Holland, ‘Literary Value: A Psychoanalytic Approach’, Literature and Psychology, 14
(1964), p.48.
Task three
The sample examination question is written in the style of a ‘Section C’ question for AQA A A Level
Paper 1: Love through the ages. Your students will need to be familiar with the chosen prose text
before they answer this question. You could instead discuss the question, or set as an individual
planning or writing task.
© www.teachit.co.uk 2016
25490
Page 3 of 3