Bean Eaters

The Bean Eaters

The poem "The Bean Eaters" by Gwendolyn Brooks puts the life of an old couple with modest backgrounds into perspective. The poem gives the image of dinner between and old couple as they eat beans which is not the most appetizing meal. The couple does not have the best financial situation which is proven by their "casual dinner" and plain china but that has not stopped them from living a full life. The poet's use of form, meter, imagery, symbols, themes, and other literary devices help capture the poems image of humbleness and contentment.

The poem does not seem to have any type of form or meter, its just free verse. The poem's rhyme scheme (AABA BCDC EFDF) makes it somewhat formal. "They eat beans mostly, this old yellow pair/ Dinner is a casual affair" (lines 1-2). The poet writes the poem in free verse to stress the simplicity and casualness of the couple. This couple is most likely not eating beans because they love them so much, they are eating it because it is what they can afford. The poet also writes the poem in free verse to show that the two main subjects of the poem are people who do not deal with formality in their lives. Providing dinner for themselves everyday is a challenge, why worry about how well the silverware and china looks.

The most prominent symbol are the beans, they symbolize the things that couple lack in life and transcendence from certain circumstances. The beans represent the lack of a good home, the lack of space, the lack of friends, the lack of stability, and most importantly the lack of food. "As they lean over the beans in their rented back room that/ is full of beads and receipts and dolls and cloths,/tobacco crumbs, vases and fringes"( lines 11-13). The beans also represent transcendence from their situation. The couple is able too look past their measly meal and look at the good things life has given them which is reflected in all the little trinkets that their back room is full of.

The two major themes of the poem are poverty and old age. The poet shows how poverty affects the everyday routine of this couple. A simple task such as dinner for two has become strained by the lack of money that they posses. The poem also exposes the theme of old age and elderly people's value in society. As people get older they tend to take a less active role in society and sometimes are even forgotten by their own families and friends. The couple in the poem plays that exact role, an old couple that has been forgotten by society and left to fend for themselves.

The tone of the poem is very blunt; Brooks wanted to get the major point across without dramatization. The poet wanted to really get across the symbols, themes, and most of all the main idea that the couple is poor and alone. The speaker's tone also matches the couple's desolate and stark life.

The speaker

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