In the poem "Beg a Rose," by Moira Lovell, in lines 5-8 discuss the lifestyle of the speaker as suggested.

In Moira Lovell's powerful, yet short poem, "Beg a Rose,"
we can assume that the woman speaking is very well-to-do, or rich. The line that is most
revealing is:

readability="7">

…but I was already in the
rose-shop

Choosing thin pinks for dinner-table
décor…

First of all, the
woman has walked not into a flower shop, but into a "rose" shop;
roses are generally more expensive than most other flowers. They also suggest
refinement, wealth and sophistication as they are not simply going to rest on the dining
room table at dinner, but these "thin pink" flowers are specifically, carefully selected
for the "dinner-table décor."

Another word is particularly
well-placed in the phrase above: "but…" The speaker's "but I was
already in the rose-shop" indicates that this woman is rushing around, and with the rest
of the phrase, we get the sense that this woman is entertaining that evening. She is
approached by the youngster, but she has hurried into the store to get her flowers. The
stanza before notes ten cents "stuffed" into a parking meter, which conveys urgency; she
is in and out quickly it would seem as the time on the meter is expired, as noted in the
third stanza.

The phrase "…the tidbits of my purse…" might
even denote a casual attitude about the money spent to pay for these "high-end" blooms.
The woman thinks nothing of the money she spends to decorate her table (while the boy is
starving).

As a side note, there is a great deal of
figurative language (especially personification and onomatopoeia) used in this poem, and
it all is used purposely to reflect images of
hunger. The boy says he is hungry; "gob" refers to "mouth." The
parking meter's "stomach hummed." The cash register is described as eating: "The
cash-till shot out its shuddering jaw / And crammed in tidbits…"