The poem begins with a sense of quiet, almost resigned acceptance, as the couple, described as "bean eaters," is shown in their old age, surrounded by the remnants of their lives. The first stanza paints a picture of simplicity and a lack of ambition.
The rising action, or moment of tension, can be identified in the second stanza:
> "They eat beans mostly, this old yellow pair.
> Their thin old fingers reach out like the claws
> Of tired birds."
This stanza introduces the theme of poverty and hardship that underlies the poem's quiet despair. The image of "thin old fingers" reaching out "like claws" suggests a sense of desperation and a struggle for survival. This image is a turning point in the poem, shifting the focus from the quiet acceptance of the first stanza to the underlying struggles of the couple.
The rest of the poem explores the couple's memories and their current situation, highlighting the pain and sorrow of their past. This sense of accumulated loss and hardship is the poem's climax, building on the rising action established in the second stanza.
Therefore, while "The Bean Eaters" lacks a traditional rising action, the second stanza acts as a turning point, introducing the poem's central theme of poverty and hardship, which ultimately forms the poem's climax and emotional weight.