The Bean Eaters Questions

Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.

  1. Do you think you could sympathize more with the people in this poem if you knew their names? Why or why not?
  2. What do you imagine their room looks like? Why does the poet take such care to describe it?
  3. How would you describe the central characters of this poem? What support do you have for your description?
  4. What do you think is responsible for this old couple's poverty? Is anyone to blame for their present condition? If so, who?