▁dep ict s ▁a ▁scene ▁in ▁a ▁small , ▁d ing y ▁att ic ▁room ▁where ▁a ▁poet ▁s its ▁at ▁his ▁des k ▁in ▁the ▁d orm er ▁and , ▁scratch ing ▁his ▁head , ▁st ares ▁at ▁the ▁papers ▁on ▁the ▁des k ▁before ▁him , ▁evidently ▁looking ▁for ▁insp iration ▁to ▁complete ▁the ▁poem ▁he ▁is ▁writing . ▁ ▁Near ▁him ▁s its ▁his ▁wife ▁dar ning ▁clothes , ▁surprised ▁by ▁the ▁entrance ▁of ▁a ▁milk ma id , ▁who ▁imp at ient ly ▁dem ands ▁payment ▁of ▁deb ts . ▁ ▁Background ▁▁ ▁The ▁eng ra ving ▁of ▁The ▁D istr est ▁Po et ▁in ▁its ▁third ▁state ▁was ▁issued ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁December ▁ 1 7 4 1 ▁as ▁a ▁companion ▁piece ▁to ▁The ▁En rag ed ▁Music ian , ▁a ▁com ic ▁scene ▁of ▁a ▁viol in ist ▁driven ▁to ▁dist raction ▁by ▁the ▁noise ▁from ▁the ▁street ▁outside ▁his ▁practice ▁room . ▁The ▁initial ▁plate ▁for ▁The ▁D istr est ▁Po et ▁was ▁produced ▁soon ▁after ▁Hog arth ▁had ▁completed ▁the ▁oil ▁painting , ▁but ▁the ▁third ▁state ▁plate ▁was ▁not ▁completed ▁until ▁late ▁in ▁ 1 7 4 0 ▁at ▁which ▁time ▁Hog arth ▁advert ised ▁his ▁intention ▁to ▁issue ▁a ▁three - image ▁set : ▁The ▁Prov ok ' d ▁Music ian , ▁The ▁D istr est ▁Po et , ▁and ▁a ▁third ▁image ▁on ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁" P ain ting ". ▁The ▁Prov ok ' d ▁Music ian ▁( ren amed