The Bean Eaters
By Gwendolyn Brooks
They eat beans mostly, this old yellow pair.
Dinner is a casual affair.
Plain chipware on a plain and creaking wood,
Tin flatware.Two who are Mostly Good.
Two who have lived their day,
But keep on putting on their clothes
And putting things away.And remembering…
Remembering, with twinklings and twinges,
As they lean over the beans in their rented back room that is full of beads and receipts and dolls and clothes, tobacco crumbs, vases and fringes.
Summary of The Bean Eaters
“The Bean Eaters,” first published in 1945, was later included in Gwendolyn Brooks’s 1959 collection of the same name. Following her Pulitzer Prize for “Annie Allen” in 1950, the poem helped cement her reputation as a leading voice in American poetry. Its appeal lies in its simple yet moving depiction of an elderly couple and the quiet beauty of everyday life. The poem has become a staple in numerous anthologies because of its universality and evocative imagery.
At its core, the poem offers a tender portrait of a long married couple, affectionately described as the “old yellow pair.” Their existence is marked by a gentle simplicity—a diet of beans, humble furnishings, and quiet routines. Even as time passes and aging sets in, they keep a sense of dignity, contentment, and enduring love. The poem hints at a deep history of companionship and a lifetime of accumulated experiences.
Major themes explored in the poem include aging, memory, the beauty of a life lived with quiet grace, and the profound significance of everyday moments. Brooks celebrates the dignity of ordinary people, finding poetry in the mundane and highlighting the richness of their inner lives. Sharing a simple meal—eating beans—symbolizes their daily sustenance, enduring partnership, and the fundamental connection that sustains them. The final stanza emphasizes the power of memory—the “twinklings and twinges” of recollection—and suggests that even in old age, the mind continues to savor the sweet and poignant moments of a life well-lived.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in The Bean Eaters
Gwendolyn Brooks masterfully employs a range of literary devices to create a vivid, emotionally resonant, and deeply affecting poem.
- Anaphora: The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences. The line “Two who are Mostly Good” and the following “Two who have lived their day” exemplify anaphora, emphasizing the couple’s shared qualities and long partnership.
- Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words. In “Dinner is a casual affair,” the repeated “a” sound adds a musical quality and reinforces the poem’s gentle tone.
- Consonance: The repetition of consonant sounds within nearby words. The “p” sound in “Plain chipware on a plain and creaking wood” creates a textured effect that mirrors the simplicity of the couple’s surroundings.
- Enjambment: The continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line to the next without pause. The poem uses enjambment throughout, allowing the narrative to flow naturally, as in the transition from “Two who are Mostly Good” to “Two who have lived their day.”
- Imagery: Vivid language that creates sensory experiences. Lines such as “Plain chipware on a plain and creaking wood” evoke a strong sense of humble simplicity and weathered age, letting readers visualize the couple’s modest environment.
- Metaphor: A comparison without “like” or “as.” The phrase “old yellow pair” alludes to the couple’s age and the gentle fading of time, offering an affectionate portrait of their closeness.
- Symbolism: Objects or ideas representing something else. Beans symbolize basic sustenance and the simple pleasures that sustain them, while the cluttered back room reflects a lifetime of accumulated memories and possessions.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in The Bean Eaters
Brooks enhances the poem’s musicality, emotional impact, and overall artistry through specific poetic techniques.
- Diction: The choice of words. Brooks blends formal and informal language, creating a dignified yet accessible tone. Words such as “casual” and “affair” suggest relaxed ease, while the overall simplicity reflects the couple’s unpretentious life.
- End Rhyme: The poem contains occasional end rhymes. In the first stanza, the pair “pair” and “affair” rhyme, and in the second stanza, the words “day” and “away” rhyme. However, the poem does not follow a strict rhyme scheme.
- Quatrain: A stanza of four lines. All three stanzas of the poem are quatrains, giving the poem a balanced and steady structure.
- Rhyme Scheme: While the poem contains sporadic rhymes, it does not maintain a consistent pattern. The first stanza has an internal rhyme pair but no full scheme; the second stanza offers a single rhyme pair; the final stanza contains no rhyme.
- Stanza: A group of lines forming a unit. The poem is divided into three stanzas, each contributing to the overall narrative and emotional effect. The concise stanzas focus the reader’s attention on the couple’s world.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are particularly evocative and illustrate themes of companionship, aging, and finding beauty in simplicity:
Two who are Mostly Good.
Two who have lived their day,
But keep on putting on their clothes
And putting things away.
These lines capture the dignity, grace, and quiet resilience of the elderly couple, highlighting their established routines, enduring partnership, and the simple acts that maintain order and purpose. They serve as a poignant reminder that even in old age, life continues and simple acts can hold profound meaning, symbolizing a continued engagement with life and a quiet affirmation of shared existence.