Crossing the Bar Analysis

Crossing the Bar
by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,

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.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;

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.

Summary of Crossing the Bar
Popularity of “Crossing the Bar”: Alfred Lord Tennyson, a great English poet, wrote “Crossing the Bar”. It is a popular poem as it is on the subject of overarching death. It was first published in the collection in 1889, Demeter and Other Poems. The poem deals with the speaker's concern about his impending, inevitable death. It also emphasizes his accepting and calm attitude towards the end of his life. Its popularity, however, lies in its everlasting metaphorical description of natural objects and their connection to the speaker's life.
"Crossing the Bar" as representative of death: Since this poem is about death, the poet says that he hears someone who calling him from the sea. The call indicates that the evening of his life is approaching. and soon he will begin a new journey. He compares his life to the flood to express his feelings. The last stanza of the poem marks the serenity and calm. The poet says that after death he will no longer be caught in the clutches of time and place. The journey to life will take him so far from the limits of life. He also hopes to see his pilot or whoever gave him life and now he's back to his original destination. What comes to mind to readers is the strong comparison of life and death.
Most important themes in “Crossing the Bar”: Death and acceptance are the main themes of this poem. We find many examples that indicate that the poet is talking about the imminent beginning of his life. Although the poem is not morbid or sad, it describes the poet's meditation on his death. He suggests that, instead of fearing ultimate death, one should accept that one day everyone will pass from life to death.
Analysis of literary devices in "Crossing the Bar"
Literary devices are tools that authors use to express their ideas, emotions and feelings be able to present in convincing language. Lord Tennyso n also used some literary means in this poem. The analysis of some of the literary means used in this poem is given below.

Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel tones on the same line as the tone of / o / in “And there must be no groans of the bar”. and the sounds of / i / and / a / in “I hope to see my pilot face to face.”
Images: Images are used to get readers to perceive things with their five senses. For example "Sunset and Evening Star"; "But a tide like movement seems to be sleeping" and "I hope to see my pilot face to face."
Symbolism: Symbolism is a use of symbols to denote ideas and qualities and to give meanings different from their literal meanings. "Evening" symbolizes death and the end of life, and "Dawn" is the symbol of the last moments of life or old age.
Enjambment: It is defined as a thought or clause that does not end with a line break; Instead, it moves over to the next line. For example
“I hope to see my pilot face to face
When I've encrusted the bar.”

Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant tones on the same line in quick succession, such as B. the tone of / c / in “And a clear call for me” .
Metaphor: It is a phrase in which an implicit comparison is made between objects that are different. "Crossing the bar" is a metaphor for death.
Personalization: Personification is giving human characteristics to inanimate objects. For example, in the third line, "And let there be no groans from the bar", the poet personifies "sandbank"; in the fifth line 'But a tide like the one that moves seems asleep' personifies the tide as if it could sleep like humans.
Analysis of the poetic resources in "Crossing the bar"
The poetic and literary resources are the same, but a few they are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.

Scene: A stanza is a poetic form of some verses. There are four stanzas in this poem, each consisting of four verses.
Quartet: Quartet is a four-line stanza. stanza taken from Persian poetry. Here each stanza is a quatrain.
Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows the ABAB rhyme scheme, and this pattern continues throughout the poem.
End Rhyme: The final rhyme is used to make the verse melodious. For example, "me / sea"; "Star / bar" and "foam / hearth".
Quotes to be used
The lines below can be used to describe the breathtaking beauty of nature.

"Sunset and evening star,
And a clear call for me!
And no complaints! from the bar,
when I put to sea.