No Man is an Island - working with poetry and song lyrics

In the poem "No Man is an Island" by John Donne, he says that "No man is an island, entire to itself". By this, he means that no man is alone, and is part of a society with other people, like a piece of a continent belongs to the rest of the world. John also says that since he's part of the same society, any death will affect both him and the rest of the world. What would happen if half a continent was suddenly gone? Everybody would notice. In the same way, everybody knows when a man dies; funeral bells will toll.

In the song "I Am A Rock" by Simon & Garfunkel, they sing "I am a rock, I am an island", and later that "A rock feels no pain, and a island don't cry". The person this song is about, has shut himself from the world. He says he doesn't need either friendship or love, just his books and poetry. He can never get hurt if he never gets close to people.

"You'll Never Walk Alone" by Gerry And The Pacemakers says that, well, you'll never walk alone. As long as you have hope in your heart, and isn't afraid of the dark. By this, they mean it gets better. You may have to take some chances, but as long as you look forward, things will lighten up. No one will give up on you.

These three texts are all about your place in the world. While "I Am A Rock" is about the negative sides in society, "No Man is an Island" and "You'll Never Walk Alone" focus more about the positive things.

I liked "I Am A Rock" best of the two songs. It can be relatable when you just want to shut the world out and read a book. If you get hurt, it's understandable that you're afraid of getting close to people again after that, and block all feelings.