"Crossing the Bar" - An Extended Metaphor

"Crossing the Bar"
Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Through the vivid descriptions of the ocean as well as the nautical diction, Tennyson connects his voyage to death with a voyage on the sea. His poem is an extended metaphor comparing death to a journey out into the ocean. "Crossing" in the context of this poem can possess many different meanings. It could be meant as the euphemism of "crossing over," or passing into a different state of being which can carry a religious connotation with it. Another religious interpretation suggests that the "crossing" refers to the Christian belief in adorning ourselves in the sign of the cross, reminiscent of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The "bar" to which he refers is a sand bar, commonly located just off the shore of many beaches. Similarly, it could also have the religious connotation of being the line or obstacle through which one travels on the journey to the afterlife. In the final stanza of the poem, it can be deferred that this afterlife is the Christian ideal of heaven. In the belief of heaven, there is no passing of time or exact destination which explains why Tennyson claims that his voyage will take him beyond their reach. "I hope to see my Pilot face to face" also refers to God (Tennyson, 886). The capitalization of "Pilot" suggests the importance of his spiritual guide and ergo ultimately leads to reader to conclude that Tennyson's voyage leads him to heaven.