Don't get me wrong: I'm as big a fan as there is. I own literally
everything, with the exception of the last two albums of covers. And I can find something to enjoy and appreciate on even his most reviled albums. I also agree that his song craft, to the extent that it involves "borrowing" liberally from other sources, has generally been in keeping with the folk and Blues traditions.
I kn0w he has a reputation of giving "zero farcks"--
as Jeff Tweedy put it so perfectly--about being adored like, say, McCartney, but I do think he cares about his legacy. His will deservedly be among the greatest ever, but in the contrarian, cynical, click-bait world we have now, I expect a spate of articles rehashing the plagiarism claims because that will generate more traffic than another piece in praise of his singular talents.
As for favorite Dylan lyrics, mine could fill a book. Off the top of my head I would cite the "Every Grain of Sand" lyrics directly above, as well as:
"But to live outside the law, you must be honest."
"They say that patriotism is the last refuge
To which a scoundrel clings
Steal a little and they throw you in jail
Steal a lot and they make you king"
"Then she opened up a book of poems
And handed it to me
Written by an Italian poet
From the thirteenth century
And everyone of them words rang true
And glowed like burnin' coal
Pourin' off of every page
Like it was written in my soul
From me to you
Tangled up in blue"
