Sound & Sense Chapter 3

When my love swears that she is made of truth written by William Shakespeare tells the story of lovers who lie. The speaker introduces his beloved saying that "she is made of truth" (1), but in the next line, he contradicts his previous statement with "I know she lies" (2). These statements are direct contradictions and are used to represent the complex idea of love. The speaker is fully aware of his beloved's dishonesty, but he makes the conscious decision to ignore her lies in order to believe she is angelic and honest. The speaker makes himself blind to his beloved's deception because he loves her and wants to see the best in her. Honesty is easier to love than dishonesty, which is why the speaker chooses to believe in lies rather than reality.

The speaker uses the word "lie" throughout the poem because of its dual meaning. As the speaker finishes the poem he says, "Therefore I lie with her and she with me" (13). Here, the word "lie" has two denotations. It means to lie down together literally and to be dishonest to one another. The dual meaning of the word displays the affection and deception within the speaker's relationship. The lovers lie together because they are in love, but they outwardly lie to one another. The dual meaning of "lie" at the end of the poem suggests that "lies" at the beginning of the poem could also have dual meaning. The speaker says, "I know she lies" (2), which suggests that his beloved could be unfaithful in addition to her dishonestly. Despite the lack of honestly within the speaker's relationship, lies complement the lovers: "And in our faults by lies we flattered be" (14). Lies within the relationship are known and accepted by both parties, making the relationship unexpectedly open and honest.