The poem bean eaters conveys a message of poverty of an old couple, whose poor state is revealed by the kind of food they eat – beans which are considered cheap by contemporary society standards. Because the couple always eats only the beans, the author imagines they are referred to as bean eaters, which demonstrates the severity of their poverty and the life they live.
Occasion
Seemingly the poem depicts night hours of the day, according to the fact that the author talks about dinner being their casual affair at the couple’s rented house. The poet may have been prompted by the social issues like poverty and social conflicts, as well as racism, that the United States were facing during that period of time.
Audience
People, especially the old, go through difficulties without anyone paying attention to them; the poet used this to force society to see how the elderly live in unbearable conditions. The poem portrays severe social isolation and the worst economic conditions of the old people at the time when racism was a much bigger issue in the United States.
Purpose and Speaker
Through a shift in the mood of the poem, the poet conveyed a story on why people should find and appreciate simplicity and love in any situation. While openly relaying the message about how society is biased against the low class or poor people in a society.
In the poem, the speaker comes out as someone who cares and is concerned about the societal neglect of poor people, more so the elderly. Additionally, the author appears to be liberal and has such a worldview where he accepts everyone, not considering their social status.
Reference
Brooks, G. (1960). The Bean Eaters. Harpers. Web.