Beginning of Essay
Paul Simon said that the person or people in his poem were sick of society, and wanted to be isolated away from society. He represents this by saying that they want to be like a rock, or like an island. They wanted to be isolated away from society. The poem ta ....

Middle of Essay
.... and he compares this to an inpenetrable wall. Inpenetrable walls keep unwanted things out: bad feelings, love, etc. Then, in the third line of this stanza, he says "I have no need of friendship - friendship causes pain, It's laughter and loving I disdain." He said that he doesn't want friendship because it just causes pain, and that the laughter and loving he hates or despises. He wants to be left alone, like it says in the third stanza, "Hiding in my room, Safe within my tomb." He wanted to be shielded from society. In the first line of the third stanza, he says "I have my books and my poetry to protect me, I am shielded in my armour" ....