Analysis by: Akash

Source: http://www.english.cam.ac.uk/cambridgeauthors/tennyson-practica criticism-of-crossing-the-bar

This poem describes the attitude of acceptance of the speaker towards death.

 The transition of the human soul from the physical, temporal world to the eternal, spiritual world, using the

metaphor of a ship setting sail on its

last voyage.

 This poem consists of four quatrain stanzas rhyming ABAB.The simple rhyme scheme could possibly be used to bring out the simplicity of death. The first and third lines of each stanza are always a couple of beats longer than the second and fourth lines, to Bring out a wave like feature.

 In 'Crossing the Bar', Tennyson is speaking about his own impending death. Within the poem, the image of the sea is used to represent the 'barrier' between life and death. The construction of this metaphor centres on the image of 'crossing the bar'; a 'bar' is physically a bar of sand in shallow water. The 'bar' which Tennyson must cross, however, can only be crossed in one direction.

 The poem opens with the phrase 'Sunset and evening star', immediately placing the reader in a setting at the end of the day. The metaphor can be extended to represent a late stage in the poet's life. This reading is supported by the opening of the third stanza: 'Twilight and evening bell, / And after that the dark!' Time is progressing as the poem develops, and after each reference to physical time, Tennyson makes a personal

 'And may there be no moaning of the bar, / When I put out to sea' 'And may there be no sadness of farewell, / When I embark'

 The clear reference to Tennyson's 'moving on' enables us to interpret the image of evening as representing old age. The notion of passing time, evident in the physical darkening of the sky from 'sunset' to 'twilight' to 'dark' is echoed in the rhythm of the poem. Clearly, the poem speaks about the sea, about a tide which 'turns again home'. The tide, we are reminded, has done this before; its rhythm will not be interrupted by the death of the

 But such a tide as moving seems asleep, Too full for sound and foam, When that which drew from out the boundless deep Turns again home.

The differing lengths of lines evoke the movement of a tide washing upon a beach, something which we all recognise to be cyclic

 'And may there be no moaning of the bar' 'And may there be no sadness of farewell' 'I hope to see my Pilot face to face Tennyson makes a clear distinction between events which he knows will happen, and events which he hopes will happen. He cannot assure that there will be 'no sadness of farewell', so he cannot solidify the matter within the poem itself.

 For though from out our bourne of Time and Place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crossed the bar.

 There are three aspects of this final stanza that are immediately striking; the capitalisations of 'Time', 'Place' and 'Pilot'. We capitalise proper nouns, such as names and locations, suggesting that Tennyson sees 'Time and Place' as a specific location and 'his Pilot' as a personal figure. This adds to the element of certainty in the poem: Tennyson has in mind a location in which he will end, and though he can only 'hope' to see his 'Pilot', he has an image he aspires to meet with.

 Personal Note : Though, the pilot is almost always thought of as god, I feel that the pilot could also be Hallam. Who in In Memoriam guides Tennyson just as the pilot guides the ship. Also since Tennyson was going to die just as Hallam had, Tennyson could have hoped he meets his good friend in his afterlife. (Hope to meet my pilot face to face).

 E.g. : sunset and evening star, and after that the dark! ,I hope to see my Pilot face to face. These imageries can be caught as a situation where describe about the sequence time of person who expects death. The persona explained the Pilot as a divinity or unseen person Who is always guiding us.

 E.g. : When I put out to sea (first stanza, last line), But such a tide as moving seems asleep (second stanza, first line), when I embark (third stanza, last line), when I have crost the bar (last stanza, last line). These imageries can be understood as a process of the persona journey toward death. First, the persona start to sail, then everything (tide) seems calm. Next,

 E.g. : and one call for me (first stanza, second line), evening bell (third stanza, first line) Those imageries mean that the sign from God. The persona hears that he has been called.