The Distrest Poet

The Distrest Poet by William Hogarth, executed in 1740, is a renowned example of 18th-century British satirical printmaking. This composition, representing the third state of three, utilizes highly detailed etching and engraving techniques, characteristic of Hogarth’s narrative prints. The work is housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The scene offers a scathing commentary on the romanticized poverty of Grub Street writers in Georgian London. The interior of the cramped, decaying garret is cluttered with signs of domestic disorder and neglect. At the center is the protagonist, a man absorbed in his work, attempting to compose a heroic poem titled "Poverty, A Satire," while utterly oblivious to the immediate financial crisis facing his household. The poet’s ambitious writing is contrasted sharply by the arrival of a distraught woman, presumably his wife, holding a tailor’s bill she cannot pay.

Hogarth meticulously fills the scene with supporting details to amplify the satire. The presence of domestic animals, including a cat fighting with a dog over a bone while spilling milk, contributes to the overall sense of chaos and deprivation. Beyond the figures, the physical environment itself speaks to the poet’s distress: a visible hole in the roof reveals the meager setting, and a map of the gold mines in Peru hangs ironically above the impoverished writer's head. As one of the most recognizable of Hogarth's prints, this piece remains vital for scholars studying social satire. Today, prints of this important historical work are often found in the public domain, ensuring wide accessibility for research into 18th-century interiors and genre scenes.