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Crossing the Bar Summary | Alfred Lord Tennyson |Compulsory English Class 9 by Suraj Bhatt
Crossing the Bar by Alfred Lord Tennyson
SHORT SUMMARY
Crossing the Bar by Alfred Lord Tennyson
‘Crossing the Bar’ is an elegy and one of the most famous creations of Alfred Lord Tennyson. He wrote this poem at the age of 81. He knows very well that his death is near. This poem has described the speaker's sea voyage, but really it is a description of his soul’s journey from one world (earth) to another (paradise). He is quite sure that his soul will become one with the divine after his death. Here, the speaker has become old. He feels that his death is coming nearer. He hears the clear call of death from the sea. He wishes that the tide would be deep when he begins his journey. There shouldn't be noise and foam in the sea. The sea should look as if it is sleeping. His only wish is that there shouldn't be crying, weeping, or any other expression of mourning over his death. He wants this particular death to be calm and comfortable. He wants his friends to make him happy. His soul, which had emerged from the infinite world of God, will begin the journey of returning to his original home, i.e., God. He says that human life in this world is limited by time and space, but his death will take him to a world that is free from the limitations of time and space. He doesn't have a fear of death, which is so close to him. He welcomes it without any fear. He hopes to meet his pilot face-to-face only after his death. Here he refers the pilot to the almighty God. Like an expert pilot, God guides his ship safely across the sandbar of a port. In the same way, after coming out of the port of life, God guides the human soul and takes it to heaven. Thus, the poem ends on a hopeful note.
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STANZA WISE EXPLANATION
Crossing the Bar by Alfred Lord Tennyson
Stanza: 1
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,
Explanation
In these lines, the speaker says that the sun is setting and evening stars have appeared. During this evening, he hears a clear call for him. We find him wishing that there is no sad sound on the sandbar when he moves out of the harbour to sea. In other words, the speaker means to say here that he has reached the end of his life and heard the clear call of death. The speaker's only wish is that there should be no crying, weeping, or other expressions of sorrow over his death.
Stanza: 2
“But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turn again hot home.
Explanation
Here in these lines, the speaker wishes that when he starts his sea voyage, the weather on the sea should be calm and quiet. The waves of the sea should move gently. There shouldn't be noise from the sound or foam. The sea tides should be calm, as if they are asleep. The speaker says that his ship has come from the ocean. The ship here symbolises the speaker’s soul, and the boundless deep (an ocean) is a symbol of eternity. According to him, his soul will return to its real home after his death. In other words, the speaker wants to die calmly, without any pain. He wants his journey from this world to another to be smooth.
Stanza: 3
Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
when I embark;
Explanation
In the third stanza, the speaker says that it is twilight. The evening bell is ringing, and it will be dark soon. The speaker means to say that he has already grown old. It is the final stage of his life. His soul will start its journey from this world to another after his death. He wishes that there should be no sadness in crying at the end of his life. All his relatives will bid him farewell with cheerfulness when he starts his journey.
Stanza: 4
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.
Explanation
In this stanza, the speaker says that our lives, or human lives, are limited by time and space. He thinks that his ship (divine power) will take him away from this world to another world that is free from the limitations of time and space. He says that when he reaches there, he will see his pilot face-to-face. By pilot, the speaker here means God. After his death, it is God who guides his soul to heaven. The speaker has no fear of death. He wishes to meet God after his death.
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