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The music is loud yet so confidential.
I cannot help feeling even more
like the center of the universe
than usual as I walk along to a rapid
little version of "The Way You Look Tonight,"
and all I can say to my fellow pedestrians,
to the woman in the white sweater,
the man in the tan raincoat and the heavy
glasses,
who mistake themselves for the center of the
universe-
How does the speaker of Collins's poem feel
conflicted?
O He feels connected, but he is isolating
himself from others by wearing earphones.
O He says that he is the center of the universe,
but he is walking around on earth.
O He confuses the people playing the music
with people walking around on the street.
DONE



Answer :

GinnyAnswer
The speaker in Collins's poem feels conflicted because he says he feels like the center of the universe as he listens to loud music through his earphones. However, he also acknowledges the presence of others around him, such as the woman in the white sweater and the man in the tan raincoat, who he sarcastically refers to as people mistaking themselves for the center of the universe. This shows a contrast between the speaker's internal feeling of importance or centrality and the external reality of sharing space with other individuals. To summarize: 1. The speaker feels connected to the music and perceives himself as the center of the universe due to the intense personal experience created by the music. 2. Simultaneously, the speaker interacts with and observes others around him, highlighting a sense of isolation despite being physically present among fellow pedestrians. In essence, the speaker's conflicting feelings arise from the juxtaposition of his internal emotional experience with the external reality of his surroundings and interactions with others.