Crossing the Bar – Summary & Analysis
In Short
- The speaker watches the sunset and evening star appear as the day ends
- He hears a clear call to depart and enter the darkness of approaching evening
- He hopes that no one will cry or mourn as he sails away from the shore
- He describes a calm tide, too full to make a sound, and wishes for peaceful conditions
- Twilight arrives with the ringing of an evening bell, then complete darkness falls
- He accepts the coming darkness without sadness or complaint
- He acknowledges he will be carried far beyond time and place into the unknown
- He expresses his hope to meet his Pilot, whom he identifies as God, face to face
Crossing the Bar – Line by Line Analysis
Stanza I: The Call to Depart
“Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
The poem opens with beautiful natural imagery. The sun is setting, creating a bright glow on the horizon. An evening star appears in the twilight sky. These images suggest that the speaker's life is coming to an end, just as day ends with sunset. The word "Sunset" creates both a literal and metaphorical meaning. Literally, the sun is going down. Metaphorically, the speaker is in the sunset of his life, reaching old age.
The speaker hears "one clear call" summoning him. This call is clear and distinct, like a trumpet or voice calling him to action. The call represents the summons to death, a distinct moment when he realizes he must depart from life. The speaker does not show fear or resistance. Instead, he seems almost ready to answer this call. The phrase "and one clear call for me" suggests that this call is personal and meant specifically for him. This personalizes the universal experience of death.
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,
The speaker expresses his hope that there will be "no moaning of the bar." A bar is a sandbar, a ridge of sand at the mouth of a harbor where the sea meets the land. The moaning refers to the sound the waves make as they crash against the bar. However, "moaning" also suggests sadness and grief. The speaker hopes that when he crosses this barrier from life to death, people will not mourn or cry for him. He does not want his departure to cause sadness in others.
Stanza II: The Peaceful Crossing
But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
The speaker describes the tide at his moment of departure. The tide is full, completely filled with water, so full that it cannot make foam or sound. The foam would normally indicate rough, turbulent water, but the speaker desires a peaceful, quiet tide. This desire for a calm, still tide represents his wish for a gentle, painless death. The complete stillness and silence suggest acceptance and peace rather than struggle or pain.
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.
The final lines of the second stanza suggest that everything that came from the boundless depths of eternity will return home again, suggesting the natural cycle of life returning to its source.
Stanza III: Twilight and the Coming Darkness
Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
Time passes, and twilight arrives. Twilight is the time between day and night, when light gradually fades and darkness approaches. This period symbolizes the speaker's transition from life toward death. An evening bell rings through the air. Bells often toll at funerals, so this bell represents the approach of death. The ringing creates both a beautiful and mournful sound. The bell marks the ending of the day, just as death marks the ending of life.
After the bell rings, comes complete darkness. The speaker expresses this with the simple phrase "After that the dark!" The darkness represents the unknown realm of death and the afterlife. The speaker acknowledges that after the evening bell stops ringing, only darkness remains. He does not hide or deny this truth. Yet he does not express fear or dread. Instead, his tone remains calm and accepting. The darkness is inevitable, and he seems prepared to enter it.
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;
The speaker says he does not want people to be sad when he embarks, or sets out. He requests that there be no sadness of farewell. A farewell is a goodbye, and the sadness of farewell is the grief that comes from parting. The speaker emphasizes again his desire not to cause sorrow to those he leaves behind. This shows his kindness and consideration for others, even as he prepares to die. He wants his passing to be accepted peacefully, not mourned as a great loss.
Stanza IV: The Divine Reunion
For tho’ from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
The speaker begins with "for though," meaning "although" or "even though." He acknowledges that although he will be carried far away by the tide of death, he is not truly lost or abandoned. He will travel beyond the boundaries of time and space as humans know them. The "bourne of Time and Place" refers to the realm of human existence. The flood will carry him far beyond these familiar boundaries into an unknown realm.
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar.
The final lines express the speaker's deepest hope. He desires to see his Pilot face to face when he has crossed the bar. The Pilot represents God, the divine force that has guided his ship of life on its journey. Just as a ship's pilot navigates the vessel safely to its destination, God has guided the speaker through life. Now, the speaker hopes that after crossing from life into death, he will finally see God directly and clearly. This face-to-face meeting with God represents spiritual fulfillment and divine reunion. The poem ends on this hopeful note, transforming death from an ending into a homecoming.
Crossing the Bar – Word Notes
Bar: A ridge or bank of sand formed by water currents at the mouth of a harbor, separating the calm harbor from the open sea. Symbolically represents the boundary between life and death.
Moaning: A deep, mournful sound made by waves crashing against the bar. Also suggests sadness, grief, and lamentation.
Embark: To board a ship and begin a journey. Here it means to depart from life or begin the journey toward death.
Tide: The rising and falling of the sea's water level caused by the moon and sun. Here represents the flow of life or the current carrying the soul toward death.
Foam: The white, bubbly mass that forms when waves crash or water is agitated. Suggests turbulence and rough conditions.
Twilight: The time between sunset and complete darkness, when light gradually fades. Symbolizes transition and the boundary between day and night, life and death.
Evening bell: A bell rung in the evening, often at a church or as part of a funeral ceremony. Represents the passage of time and the approach of death.
Bourne: An old or poetic word meaning a destination, realm, or boundary of existence. "Bourne of Time and Place" means the realm of human life with its limits of time and space.
Flood: A great flowing of water. Here represents the tide and the powerful current of death that carries the soul forward.
Crost: An archaic past tense of "cross," meaning to have gone across or over.
Pilot: A person who steers or guides a ship. Here represents God or a divine guide who will lead the soul safely through the unknown.
Boundless deep: The endless, limitless ocean. Represents the vast unknown of eternity and the afterlife.
Publication
Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote "Crossing the Bar" in October 1889 at the age of eighty. According to his son Hallam Tennyson, the poem was written in just twenty minutes on the back of an envelope while Tennyson was traveling on a ferry boat crossing from Lymington to Yarmouth near the Isle of Wight. The journey across the water directly inspired the poem's maritime imagery and central metaphor. Tennyson had recently recovered from a serious illness, and the poem expresses gratitude and acceptance of his condition.
The poem was first published in 1889 in a collection called Demeter and Other Poems, published by Macmillan in London. It gained immediate popularity and eventually was set to music, becoming a hymn sung in churches. At Tennyson's specific request, the poem was placed at the end of every collected edition of his works. Three years after the poem's publication, it was performed as one of two anthems at Tennyson's own funeral in Westminster Abbey on October 12, 1892. The poem has since become one of Tennyson's most famous and frequently quoted works.
Context
Alfred, Lord Tennyson lived during the Victorian era, a period of great change and questioning. The Industrial Revolution had transformed society, and new scientific discoveries, particularly Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, challenged many people's religious beliefs. The Victorian period was marked by what historians call a "crisis of faith," where many intelligent people struggled to maintain their Christian beliefs while accepting scientific knowledge. This conflict between science and religion troubled many Victorian thinkers, including Tennyson himself.
Tennyson had a complicated relationship with Christianity and organized religion. He rejected strict Christian dogma and formal creeds but maintained a deep belief in spiritual truth and the existence of God. He valued intuitive, personal spiritual knowledge over the rigid rules of institutional churches. In "Crossing the Bar," Tennyson expresses his own faith in a divine guide, the "Pilot," without explicitly referencing Christian doctrine. The poem reflects a Victorian-era spiritual search for meaning that transcends strict religious rules and embraces personal faith and experience.
Setting
The poem is set in two connected locations. The external setting is the shore of the Isle of Wight, specifically around the harbor where Tennyson took a ferry boat. The poem was inspired by Tennyson's actual journey across the water, observing the natural maritime phenomena. However, the setting also functions metaphorically as the boundary between life and the afterlife, represented by the sandbar and the open sea.
The time of day is crucial to the poem's meaning. The action takes place during sunset, twilight, and evening, moving toward darkness. This progression from light to darkness mirrors the progression from life toward death. The natural world that Tennyson observes—the setting sun, the evening star, the evening bell, the tide, and the approaching darkness—all reflect the speaker's internal awareness of mortality. The setting is peaceful and beautiful, suggesting that death need not be frightening or ugly but can be accepted as a natural part of life's cycle.
Title
The title "Crossing the Bar" refers to the central metaphor of the poem. A bar is a sandbar, a natural formation of sand at the mouth of a harbor. Ships must cross this bar to sail from the protected harbor into the open sea. The title suggests both a literal nautical action and a metaphorical action of crossing from life into death. To cross the bar requires skill, bravery, and acceptance of the unknown dangers of the open sea beyond.
The title is simple and direct, using clear language that even readers unfamiliar with sailing would understand. The title promises that the poem will discuss crossing something, moving from one place to another. It prepares readers for a poem about transition and passage. The title's simplicity makes it memorable and dignified. At Tennyson's request, the poem was placed at the end of all editions of his collected works, making it his chosen final statement to readers. The title and placement suggest Tennyson's hope that readers would consider the themes of the poem as they contemplated their own mortality.
Form and Language
Tennyson wrote "Crossing the Bar" in a form that resembles traditional ballad verse but without strict regular meter. The poem consists of four stanzas, each containing exactly four lines called a quatrain. The structure of four quatrains, traditional in funeral poetry or elegies dating back to ancient Greece, gives the poem a formal, serious tone appropriate to its subject. The repetition of the four-line structure creates a rhythm and order that suggest control and acceptance rather than chaos or fear.
The language of the poem combines simple, direct words with poetic imagery. Tennyson uses words that most readers understand, such as sunset, bell, dark, and sea. He avoids complex vocabulary or obscure references, making the poem accessible and universal. Yet within this simple language, he creates powerful emotional effects. The word choices evoke specific times of day and natural phenomena that carry symbolic meaning. The language is formal and solemn, reflecting the seriousness of the subject, but not cold or distant. The first-person voice of the speaker creates intimacy, as though the reader is overhearing the speaker's personal thoughts about death.
Tennyson uses vivid sensory imagery throughout the poem. Readers can see the sunset and evening star, hear the evening bell, feel the tide, and sense the approaching darkness. This sensory detail makes the poem emotionally powerful and memorable. The imagery shifts from beautiful natural scenes in the opening to increasingly somber imagery as the poem progresses toward darkness. Yet Tennyson's tone remains calm and accepting throughout, never becoming desperate or bitter. This combination of beautiful imagery with a calm, accepting tone creates a unique emotional experience for readers.
Meter and Rhyme
The poem uses a consistent ABAB rhyme scheme throughout all four stanzas. In the first stanza, "star" rhymes with "bar," while "me" rhymes with "see." In subsequent stanzas, the rhyme pattern continues consistently. This regular rhyme scheme creates a musical quality and makes the poem pleasant to read aloud. The rhyme also helps readers remember the poem, and historically rhyming patterns aided in memorization for oral recitation. The regular rhyme structure provides order and stability, reflecting the speaker's acceptance and peace regarding death.
The meter is less regular than the rhyme scheme. The poem alternates between longer lines and shorter lines. The first and third lines of each stanza tend to be longer, typically containing ten syllables in an iambic pentameter pattern (five unstressed-stressed pairs). The second and fourth lines are shorter, typically containing six syllables in an iambic trimeter pattern (three unstressed-stressed pairs). This alternation between longer and shorter lines creates a wavelike rhythm. The up-and-down motion of the lines mirrors the ebb and flow of ocean waves, reinforcing the poem's maritime imagery.
Tennyson occasionally varies the meter to create emphasis. For example, the opening word "Sunset" breaks the regular iambic pattern, receiving strong stress at the very start of the poem. This variation draws attention to the word. The variations from strict meter prevent the poem from becoming too mechanical or sing-song. Instead, the flexible meter allows the natural speaking rhythm of language to emerge, making the poem sound like a person speaking thoughtfully about important matters rather than a rigid exercise in versification.
Crossing the Bar – Themes
Theme 1: Acceptance of Death
The central theme of "Crossing the Bar" is the peaceful acceptance of death as a natural and inevitable part of human existence. The speaker faces the approach of death without fear, resistance, or despair. He hopes that no one will mourn or cry, suggesting he views his death not as a tragedy but as a natural transition. He requests calm conditions—a tide too full to make foam or sound—reflecting his desire for a gentle, peaceful death. Unlike many works that present death as frightening or tragic, Tennyson's poem presents death as something to accept with grace and dignity. This theme offers comfort to readers facing their own mortality.
Theme 2: Faith and Divine Guidance
The poem expresses deep faith in a divine guide or God, personified as the "Pilot." The speaker trusts that he is not alone or abandoned in his journey toward death. A Pilot is someone who has steered his ship throughout its journey and continues to guide it now. This suggests that God has always been present in the speaker's life, guiding his choices and experiences. The speaker's hope to see the Pilot face to face in the afterlife represents his belief in an eternal relationship with God. This faith provides comfort and meaning, transforming death from an ending into a homecoming or return to the divine source.
Theme 3: The Unknown and the Mystery
The poem acknowledges that the afterlife remains fundamentally unknown and mysterious. The speaker will travel "beyond our bourne of Time and Place," beyond the boundaries of human understanding. The darkness that follows the evening bell represents the unknown realm of death and eternity. Yet despite this uncertainty, the speaker does not demand complete knowledge or understanding before accepting death. He maintains hope and faith even without knowing exactly what awaits. This theme reflects a mature acceptance that some things cannot be fully explained or understood, yet can still be accepted with peace and trust.
Theme 4: Time and Mortality
Throughout the poem, Tennyson explores the passage of time and human mortality. The sunset represents the ending of the day and the ending of life. The evening bell marks specific moments in time and sounds a summons. The twilight shows time's visible passage as light fades. The phrase "Our bourne of Time and Place" explicitly acknowledges that human existence is bounded by time. The poem suggests that time flows forward in one direction only, from birth toward death, and that accepting this flow is essential to living well. The beautiful imagery of the sunset suggests that the ending of time need not be ugly or terrible.
Theme 5: Journey and Homecoming
The poem presents death as a journey and, paradoxically, as a homecoming. The speaker sets out to sea, traveling away from the shore and into the unknown. Yet he expresses hope that he will finally see his Pilot and return home. This suggests that life itself is a journey away from the soul's true home, and death is the return to that home. The journey involves crossing a boundary—the bar—that separates one realm from another. This theme transforms death from mere ending into meaningful transition. It suggests that human existence on earth is not humanity's final destination, but rather a journey toward something greater and more permanent.
Crossing the Bar – Symbols
Symbol 1: The Bar (Sandbar)
The sandbar is the poem's central symbol, representing the boundary between life and death. In reality, a bar is a ridge of sand formed by water currents at the mouth of a harbor. Ships must cross this bar to leave the safe harbor and enter the open sea. As a symbol, the bar represents the liminal or threshold space between two states of being. Crossing it requires courage and acceptance, as the crossing involves both danger and necessary passage. The bar is not easily crossed—waves crash against it creating sound and danger—yet crossing is inevitable for those who venture into the sea. The symbol captures the reality that death, though sometimes difficult and troubling, is a necessary crossing that all humans must eventually make.
Symbol 2: The Pilot
The Pilot symbolizes God or divine guidance. Just as a ship's pilot steers the vessel safely through dangerous waters and leads it to its destination, God guides human souls through the journey of life and beyond. The pilot is described as someone the speaker will see "face to face," suggesting intimacy and direct relationship. The pilot is also described as one who "drew" the soul "from out the boundless deep," suggesting that God created the soul and sent it into the world. At the moment of death, the speaker hopes to see the Pilot directly, no longer obscured or hidden. This symbol reflects Tennyson's faith that divine guidance exists and that meeting God face to face is the ultimate goal and reunion.
Symbol 3: The Sunset and Evening Star
The sunset and evening star together symbolize the ending of life and the arrival of old age. The sunset is the moment when the sun disappears below the horizon, marking the end of the day. Similarly, the person in old age approaches the end of their earthly existence. The evening star appears as the sun sets, shining in the twilight sky. Stars are eternal and do not disappear like the sun, suggesting that while earthly life ends, something eternal remains. The opening image of "Sunset and evening star" immediately establishes the poem's focus on endings and transitions while also suggesting that beauty and light can exist even as darkness approaches.
Symbol 4: The Evening Bell
The evening bell symbolizes both the passage of time and the approach of death. Bells toll to mark moments in time and are often rung during funerals to announce death to the community. The "evening bell" specifically marks the boundary between day and night, between the active hours and the sleeping hours. In some cultures and traditions, church bells toll to mark a person's death. The bell's ringing creates a solemn, mournful sound that reinforces the poem's serious subject. Yet bells are also beautiful, and the sound of a bell is often considered noble and dignified. The evening bell thus represents death as something solemn and significant, deserving of respect and attention.
Symbol 5: The Sea and Tide
The sea and tide symbolize the vast unknown journey of death and the afterlife. The sea is limitless and mysterious, filled with dangers but also with beauty. The tide is the eternal motion of water responding to forces beyond human control. The speaker cannot control the tide, but must accept and work with it. This symbol suggests that death is a powerful force that carries all humans forward, regardless of their wishes. Yet the speaker desires a calm tide, suggesting he hopes for a peaceful ride on this powerful force. The sea also represents eternity, something continuous and endless, in contrast to the bounded realm of earthly life.
Crossing the Bar – Literary Devices
Literary Device 1: Extended Metaphor
Definition: An extended metaphor develops a single comparison throughout a piece of writing, with multiple details that support and expand the central comparison.
Example: The poem's entire structure is built on the extended metaphor of a sea voyage representing the journey from life to death. The ship, the tide, the harbor, the bar, the open sea, and the pilot all work together to create a complete picture of death as a journey. The speaker sets out to sea, crosses the bar, and travels into the vast unknown, just as a person dies, crosses from life to death, and enters the afterlife.
Explanation: By extending the sea voyage metaphor throughout the entire poem, Tennyson creates a coherent and powerful image. Every element of the metaphor reinforces the themes of journey, transition, and trust in a guide. The extended metaphor makes the abstract concept of death concrete and visual, helping readers understand and accept the speaker's perspective on mortality.
Literary Device 2: Alliteration
Definition: Alliteration is the repetition of the same beginning consonant sound in nearby words.
Example 1: "clear call" - The letter "c" repeats in both words, creating a crisp, clear sound. This mirrors the quality of the call, which is described as clear.
Example 2: "face to face" - The letter "f" repeats three times, creating an insistent sound that emphasizes the importance of seeing the Pilot directly. This alliteration highlights a key moment in the poem.
Example 3: "Sunset" and "see" - While not immediately adjacent, the "s" sound appears throughout the poem, creating a soft, soothing sound appropriate to the peaceful tone.
Explanation: Alliteration makes the poem musical and pleasant to read aloud. The repeated sounds also create emotional effects that support the poem's meaning. The clear sound of "clear call" emphasizes the distinctness of the summons to death. The repetition in "face to face" stresses the intimacy and importance of the final meeting with God.
Literary Device 3: Imagery
Definition: Imagery uses vivid, concrete language that appeals to the five senses, creating mental pictures and emotional responses in readers' minds.
Example 1: "Sunset and evening star" - These visual images create a picture of a beautiful twilight sky with warm colors and a bright star.
Example 2: "Twilight and evening bell" - This combines visual imagery (twilight) with auditory imagery (the bell's sound), creating a complete sensory experience.
Example 3: "A tide too full for sound and foam" - This describes the sea in motion, creating a sense of calm power and silent movement.
Explanation: Tennyson's vivid imagery makes the reader experience the poem's setting directly. The progression of imagery from sunset to twilight to darkness mirrors the progression from life toward death. The sensory details make the poem emotionally powerful and help readers feel the speaker's calm acceptance of his approaching death.
Literary Device 4: Enjambment
Definition: Enjambment occurs when a line of poetry continues its thought or phrase into the next line without a major pause or punctuation at the end of the line.
Example: The transition between lines in the final stanza: "For tho' 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 crost the bar." The thought continues across multiple lines without major stops, creating a flowing, continuous feeling.
Explanation: Enjambment creates fluidity and forward motion in the poem. The reader must keep moving from line to line to complete the meaning, just as the speaker must move forward on his journey. This technique reinforces the themes of continuous journey and unavoidable progression toward death.
Literary Device 5: Personification
Definition: Personification gives human qualities and characteristics to non-human things or abstract concepts.
Example: The evening bell "rings" and the tide moves and responds to forces, as if these natural elements have agency and intention. The Pilot "guides" and "steers," giving divine presence human characteristics to help readers understand it better.
Explanation: Personification makes abstract ideas more concrete and understandable. By describing the Pilot in terms of a human guide, Tennyson helps readers understand the concept of divine guidance in familiar terms. This technique makes the spiritual aspects of the poem more accessible and emotionally resonant.
Literary Device 6: Tone
Definition: Tone is the overall feeling or attitude expressed by the writer toward the subject, created through word choice, imagery, and other literary techniques.
Example: The tone of "Crossing the Bar" is calm, contemplative, peaceful, and accepting. Words like "clear call," "twilight," and "hope" create a gentle, serene atmosphere. The speaker does not express fear, anger, or despair, but rather acceptance and faith.
Explanation: The consistent calm tone throughout the poem is essential to its message. By maintaining a peaceful tone while discussing death, Tennyson suggests that death need not be frightening or tragic. The tone invites readers to reconsider their own fears about mortality and to embrace the speaker's perspective of peaceful acceptance and hope.
Literary Device 7: Symbolism
Definition: Symbolism uses objects, colors, animals, or other elements to represent abstract ideas, emotions, or concepts beyond their literal meaning.
Example: The darkness that follows the evening bell symbolizes the unknown realm of death and the afterlife, as well as the mysteries that cannot be fully explained or understood by living humans.
Explanation: Tennyson's symbols work together to create a unified vision of death and the afterlife. By using natural symbols like sunset, night, and the sea, Tennyson connects death to natural cycles and processes that humans have always experienced. This connection to nature makes the spiritual and mysterious aspects of death feel less alien and frightening.