Read the excerpt from "Introduction to Poetry" by Billy Collins. They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.

How does the figurative language in this excerpt reveal Collins’s message?

It criticizes the way some readers try to understand a poem.
It criticizes the violent themes found in modern poetry.
It suggests that the study of poetry requires physical strength.
It suggests that every poem has a simple meaning.

It criticizes the way some readers try to understand a poem

Explanation:

You see, not everyone reads the same as you and I. Heck, you and I probably read differently. Though we are all different, there are still some things that shouldn't be done while trying to understand a text. Mr. Collins was probably referring to some of those habits, such as assuming all poems mean the same thing.

the theme of universality in town is expressed in ensuring all citizens upon the occurrence of a relevant social circumstance (sickness, unemployment, old age, employment injury, having many children, maternity, disability, loss of the breadwinner, etc.)