"What is Poverty?" is an essay written by Jo Goodwin Parker that describes poverty and what poor people have to live through every day. Parker uses harsh, provocative language and her own experiences to engage the reader directly with the abstract idea of poverty, making it very real and concrete. She writes her essay for the middle class, targeting "clean" people who usually ignore poverty as a real issue. Parkers purpose is to make people aware that poverty exists even if they ignore it.

In the essay, Parker describes poverty as dirt, staying up all night on cold nights to watch the fire, hoping it never rains because diapers wont dry when it rains, and seeing children forever with runny noses. Poverty is also cooking without food and cleaning without soap. Parker uses imagery and synesthesia to describe poverty, making it more realistic for the reader. For example, she describes the "stench of rotting teeth," "urine," and "sour milk".

Parkers essay is emotional and powerful, and it sheds light on the harsh realities of poverty. It is a call to action for people to recognize and address poverty in their communities.