Pink Dog

"Ash Wednesday'll come but Carnival is here.
What sambas can you dance? What will you wear?"
"Pink Dog"
Elizabeth Bishop


When I first saw the title of this poem, I assumed it would be about a pink dog. But it's really not about that so much. The central purpose of this poem is to convince people to have fun and be carefree, before the season of lent. I'm not sure if my interpretation is correct, but I think the speaker doesn't want people to be beggars, or someone that "lives by their wits." The speaker is instead encouraging spontaneity- to just let go of anything that's bothering you, otherwise you'll be "where there is no light," meaning, where there is no livelihood and happiness. Bishop uses a hyperbole by saying, "They take and throw them in the tidal rivers," to show the community does not appreciate the beggars disrupting the Carnival festivities. The speaker wants the beggars to participate in the event along with the rest of the community. At Carnival, you do not want to be an eyesore, similar to how a pink dog is an eyesore on the street, so dress up and dance and go with the flow.