▁bed . ▁Next ▁to ▁the ▁poet ' s ▁wife , ▁by ▁the ▁open ▁door , ▁an ▁angry ▁milk ma id ▁presents ▁her ▁substantial ▁bill , ▁demand ing ▁payment ▁for ▁milk , ▁under lin ing ▁the ▁poet ' s ▁ref us al ▁to ▁provide ▁for ▁his ▁family ▁by ▁getting ▁himself ▁a ▁proper ▁job . ▁The ▁cup board ▁stands ▁open ▁and ▁empty , ▁save ▁for ▁a ▁mouse ; ▁near ▁the ▁door , ▁a ▁dog ▁ste als ▁the ▁last ▁of ▁the ▁family ' s ▁food ▁from ▁a ▁plate . ▁ ▁Other , ▁less ▁obvious , ▁elements ▁of ▁the ▁painting ▁reve al ▁more ▁about ▁the ▁poet ' s ▁person ality ▁and ▁ideas . ▁The ▁poem ▁he ▁is ▁attempting ▁to ▁write ▁is ▁entitled ▁" U pon ▁Rich es ", ▁which ▁suggests ▁that ▁the ▁poet ▁lives ▁in ▁a ▁fant asy ▁world , ▁while ▁his ▁wife ▁and ▁child ▁go ▁hun gry . ▁Ned ▁Ward ' s ▁first ▁published ▁poem ▁in ▁ 1 6 9 1 ▁was ▁The ▁Po et ' s ▁Ram ble ▁After ▁Rich es , ▁which ▁sat ir ised ▁his ▁own ▁strugg les ▁as ▁an ▁imp over ished ▁asp iring ▁poet , ▁and ▁Hog arth ▁may ▁have ▁had ▁this ▁in ▁mind ▁when ▁he ▁produced ▁the ▁picture . ▁Ear lier ▁impress ions ▁showed ▁the ▁poem ▁as ▁" P over ty , ▁A ▁Po em ", ▁which ▁hint ed ▁at ▁a ▁connection ▁to ▁The ob ald ▁who ▁had ▁written ▁" The ▁C ave ▁of ▁P over ty , ▁A ▁Po em , ▁Writ ten ▁in ▁Im itation ▁of ▁Shakespeare "