Pink Dog

A few members of my small group and I had different opinions on the topic of the poem. While half of us thought the poem was referring to a beggar whereas the other half of the group thought it was referring to a prostitute. I think the argument could go either way because there is evidence to support both opinions. I was under the impression it was about a beggar simply because it describes a dog who goes begging. The second stanza i felt really supported this idea. "Oh, never have I seen a dog so bare! Naked and pink, without a single hair. . . Startled, the passersby draw back and stare". To me, this definitely supported the idea that the dog represents a hobo. First of all the author calls the dog naked and bare. I thought this symbolized a homeless person because they lack shelter and warmth just like this dog lacks its fur coat. Another thing that stuck out to me was the fact that the author mentioned that the "passersby draw back and stare". This reminded me of the way people react the poor begging for change on the street. Most people by and stare in disgust. Other people in my group said that the pink dog represented a prostitute because the author mentions the dog having children and wearing mascara. I'm not really sure which is right, but my personal opinion is that the dog symbolizes the poor.