Answer :
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.