Love in Brooklyn

1. The speakers appear to be having a casual conversation in a bar sometime around WWII, because the man references a tank he saw in World War II, and the woman uses a typewriter to type. "Like once, in World War II, I saw a tank slide through some trees at dawn like it was a god." (Lines 12-13). Neither one of them is completely sober, which would explain why a man like the speaker is able to admit his feelings for the woman. In line 1 we get the first impression that the gentleman doesn't have very good luck with the ladies, "...he said, and blew his nose." The two people are colleagues. The woman has been recently transferred from Payroll to her current department. The man has been watching her since her relocation and has developed feelings for her. 
2. The gentleman is very unsure of himself. At the end of the poem we discover that the man is overweight. "A fat man, wordless, staring at the floor." (Line 22) With the help of a little liquid courage, the gentleman has the opportunity to tell the woman how he feels. He is clearly lusting after the woman. 
3. The beautiful woman is used to getting hit on by lots of man. She thinks this man is just like all the others, so when he tells her that he loves her she doesn't believe him. "Not love. You don't love me. You like my legs..." (Line 4) The man convinces her that he is different. The tone of the whole poem changes along with the woman's feelings toward the man. She realizes that he isn't just another drunk guy trying to take her home; he legitimately cares for her. 
4. The man in Love in Brooklyn is very insecure and unsure of the woman's feelings. He doesn't know whether or not she shares the same feelings as he does. The man in The Telephone is overly confident. He continuously tries to get the woman to admit that she loves him.