"The Scrutiny" is a poem written by Richard Lovelace, a 17th Century English poet. Lovelace was a cavalier poet who is well-known for his poems "To Lucasta, Going to the Warres," and "To Althea, from Prison." Unlike these poems, "The Scrutiny" is not about conflict and war. Instead, it posits an argument for promiscuity, in a witty and humorous manner.
Like many of Lovelace's poems, the poem is written in the first person. The speaker of this poem is a young, provocative young man, who is incredibly promiscuous. He tells his lover that in order to know for certain that he loves her, he must first be with different kinds of women. He attempts to defend his behavior by saying that he can only truly know he loves a woman if he experiences a variety of other women.
