▁but ▁never theless ▁determined ly ▁purs ued ▁a ▁career ▁in ▁literature ; ▁therefore , ▁the ▁particular ▁scri bb ler ▁dep icted ▁in ▁the ▁painting ▁would ▁be ▁one ▁of ▁this ▁frat ern ity ▁of ▁" w it lings " ▁who ▁band ed ▁together ▁to ▁protest ▁Pope ' s ▁poem . ▁In ▁this ▁context ▁it ▁would ▁make ▁sense , ▁therefore , ▁for ▁the ▁poet ▁to ▁have ▁the ▁sc ab r ous ▁anti - P ope ▁print , ▁or ▁an ▁em blem ▁of ▁Pope ' s ▁fight ▁with ▁the ▁hack ▁writers ' ▁patron , ▁above ▁him . ▁Just ▁as ▁M oll ▁H ack about ▁has ▁a ▁picture ▁of ▁M ache ath ▁on ▁her ▁wall ▁in ▁A ▁Har lot ' s ▁Progress , ▁this ▁asp iring ▁and ▁wit less ▁poet ▁would ▁have ▁a ▁picture ▁of ▁his ▁hero , ▁Edmund ▁Cur ll , ▁and ▁an ▁anti - P ope ▁print . ▁The ▁em blem , ▁in ▁other ▁words , ▁ident ifies ▁the ▁poet ' s ▁" side " ▁in ▁the ▁battle ▁between ▁d un ces ▁and ▁men ▁of ▁wit . ▁ ▁Hog arth ▁was ▁well ▁acquaint ed ▁with ▁the ▁strugg les ▁of ▁the ▁Gr ub ▁Street ▁hack ▁though , ▁through ▁the ▁trav ails ▁of ▁his ▁own ▁father , ▁Richard , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁unable ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁living ▁as ▁writer ▁and ▁had ▁eventually ▁ended ▁up ▁at ▁the ▁Fle et ▁Pr ison ▁as ▁a ▁bank rupt . ▁Hog arth ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁more ▁than ▁sympath etic ▁to ▁the ▁d un ce ▁struggling ▁with ▁his ▁rh ym es . ▁Jen