Beans

Beans, the typical diet of the poem’s titular characters, symbolize plainness but also utility. They carry many connotations, from a lack of value, as in the phrase “not worth a hill of beans,” to magical properties stemming from their usage in some fairytales. As a food source, they are rather plain and can even produce unpleasant aftereffects in the form of flatulence, but they are also an invaluable source of protein. That the poem’s titular couple “eat beans mostly” (1) means that their dinner is “casual” (2), but it also provides them with the strength to “keep on putting on their clothes / And putting things away” (7-8).

Remembering

The act of remembering symbolizes the fullness of the Bean Eaters’ shared life. The couple is clearly nostalgic for “their day” (6) that has passed, and their memories encompass both joyful “twinklings” (10) and painful “twinges” (10). But the act of...