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Brittany Kirby
Mrs. Gregory
English-102
25 April 2013
An Analysis of “The Bean Eaters”
Without the inclusion of poetic devices, poems may often be considered bland and
meaningless. “The Bean Eaters” is a poem written by Gwendolyn Brooks where the poor but
satisfying life of an elderly couple is described. The poem describes the couple eating dinner
together every day as if it is a ritual. However, the poem represents much more than a couple’s
dinner ritual. In “The Bean Eaters”, Gwendolyn Brooks uses symbolism, setting and form to
convey the theme that finances do not satisfy one’s life, memories do.
Gwendolyn Brooks uses beans as the main symbol throughout the poem. Beans are seen
both in the title and in the first line. The poem states that “They eat beans mostly..”(Brooks 1). In
the poem, beans are used to represent the idea of poverty. Beans are used to represent poverty
because beans are often a meal eaten by those facing a financial hardship. The fact that the
couple eats beans for a majority of meals indicates the idea they are living in poverty or poor
financial standing. However, the reader is able to note that this does not bother the elderly couple
because as they eat they reminisce. The couple’s reminiscing shows the value they place on life
and how they would rather have the memories over a big fancy house and money.
Not only does the poet use symbolism in the poem, she also uses the setting to further
convey the theme. The audience is able to further understand the living conditions of the couple
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when they are said to be living “…in their rented back room that is full of beads and receipts and
dolls and cloths, tobacco crumbs, vases and fringes” (Brooks 11-13). The small room is full of
many things from receipts to tobacco crumbs; this leads one to imply that their house is untidy.
The idea they live in a rented back room and share the ritual of bean eating every night suggests
they are very private and do not go far beyond their own house. The rental room also suggests a
couple lacking great financial standing. The theme is further conveyed by the setting because
despite the untidiness of their house and the lack of ownership displayed, the couple is satisfied
with the life they have lived to this point.
Along with symbolism and setting, the author uses the form of the poem to express the
theme. The form of “The Bean Eaters” is very informal and lacks a regular metrical pattern. This
alteration to the form of the poem suggests the idea of the clutter that is represented by their
rental home discussed in the setting. Similar to the symbolism and setting, the form also helps to
show that the couple does not care about materialistic matters and what they are surrounded by.
Instead, they are satisfied by realizing they can provide food for themselves and other basic
needs. Their lives are greater fulfilled by reflecting upon the memories they have made
throughout their life.
Symbolism setting and form are extremely important in Brooks poem, “The Bean Eaters”
as it helps the reader to further convey the theme. Poems are typically short in length and
throughout the duration of the poem, the author must express a certain meaning or theme.
Without the use of poetical devices this task would be hard to accomplish. If the reader does not
take note of the specific poetic devices throughout the poem, the poem would simply be about an
older couple eating beans for dinner. However, Gwendolyn Brooks was able to use the beans in
the poem as a symbol of poverty. She also used the setting to represent the idea that memories
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are valued more than money. Finally, the author was able to use the form of the poem to suggest
their relaxed personalities and reliance on memories not money. These three ideas suggest the
couple is not wealthy but, this does not matter to them because they have happy memories and
this fact satisfies their life. All three of these poetic devices helped to further convey the theme
that finances do not satisfy one’s life, memories do.
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Works Cited
Brooks, Gwendolyn. “The Bean Eaters.” Backpack Literature: An Introduction to Fiction,
Poetry, Drama and Writing. Eds. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 4th ed. Boston: Pearson,
2012. 440-441. Print .