Couplets in Pink Dog

This poem contains many different couplets throughout the different stanzas. Not only does it have quite a few couplets, it has a few lines that have 3 rhyming lines. I never really understood the meaning or purpose of rhyming in poetry. Is it just for fun or entertainment? Or does it serve a deeper purpose? "If they do this to anyone who begs, / drugged, drunk, or sober, with or without legs," These lines don't really seem to serve a purpose to me, but they do elaborate on the habit of throwing people into rivers. The entire poem seems comical to me and maybe the practice of throwing beggars and the low members of society actually happened, in that case it isn't real funny. Maybe, the rhyming lightens the mood or possibly is used to draw emphasis to an idea or a problem.