Marissa's Questions

Is Collins plagiarizing or is he simply just "rewriting" a failed poem?

I don't think of it as plagiarism because it's a parody of the original poem and he admits to taking the first two lines from another source so it doesn't seem to me like he's trying to take credit for the original idea, especially since he is poking fun at the original idea.

Why does the poet steal the first 2 lines (You are the bread and the knife, the crystal goblet and the wine) from a typical western love poem instead of any other lines?

He probably stole those opening lines so he could establish that his own poem was meant to be attached to that other poem. He could have just listed the comparisons without first relating back to the original love poem but then there would be not point of reference to what he is parodying.

Is Collins' main point of this poem to make fun of typical western love poems?

I believe it is. I don't think it's an attack on the specific poem that inspired him to write it but an attack on the general style of the original poem.

Does Collins' use of ridiculous comparisons really insult his beloved instead of flattering her?

I think so. He starts out with seemingly nice compliments but then tells his beloved all the things she is not, and then tells her how great he is. I think the comparisons are meant to insult the beloved in the poem in order to get his point across about the poor quality of the style of western love poems.

Why does Collins go on to flatter himself towards the end of the poem?

I think the flattery is mainly there to add more humor to the poem and make light of the comparisons used in other poems.

Would you rather be the bread and knife or the evening paper blowing in the alley? Why?

Hmmm... The bread and the knife have some sort of spiritual symbolism, I think, but the image of the paper blowing through the alley is sort of peaceful to me. It makes me think of just floating along on a wind, so I would probably choose that.