Essay Questions

How has the speaker of the poem used irony in the poem?

The poem The Scrutiny has used irony to bring out humor, exaggeration, and incredulity in the actions of the speaker. The irony makes the poem humorous and presents the matter of the poem which is unfaithfulness. Verbal and situational irony make the reader understand how outrageous the actions of the speaker are.

The instances of irony in the poem are the speaker claiming that the twelve hours that he spent with his lady love are enough and she should be grateful for them. Another instance of situational irony is the claim that the speaker makes that when he had had other many lovers, he would no doubt return to his lover for that night if she proved to be better than his future conquests.

What does the speaker reveal about love and unfaithfulness in the poem?

The Scrutiny is a poem about an unfaithful male lover and the betrayal that a jilted female lover feels. The speaker of the poem is unfaithful and he is proud that he is unattached to his lovers. He claims that, '

Not, but all joy in thy browne haire, By others may be found; But I must search the blank and faire Like skilfull Minerallist’s that sound For Treasure in un-plow’d-up ground.' He is willing to go on looking for lovers just as miners look for treasure. This shows that he is a womanizer who lies to women promising them a relationship but once he spends time with them, he reveals his intentions which are to be unfaithful and seek other lovers. The poem exposes the fallacy of womanizers who feel pride in their unattachment and their capability to hurt their lovers.

How does betrayal affect lovers?

Betrayal is a central theme in the poem. The speaker of the poem is a male lover who betrays his love conquests. He is not ready to settle down and has many lovers. In the morning after spending the night with a lady, he reveals his true intentions which are that he is not ready to settle down. The following stanza illustrates this,

'Why should you sweare I am forsworn, Since thine I vow’d to be? Lady it is already Morn, And ’twas last night I swore to thee That fond impossibility.' The speaker of the poem betrays the love that his companions have for him. The ladies no doubt feel betrayed by him because they expected a relationship from him, not just a one-night stand.