"Crossing the Bar" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

"I hope to see my Pilot face to face / When I have crossed the bar."

This poem definitely is one of those poems that speaks more truth than simply words. The meaning behind every line is so profound. For example, this poem uses a lot of imagery about night time. The terms "sunset" "evening star" "asleep" and "twilight" are sprinkled throughout. At first, I just thought that this poem was about, well, night time. However, the meaning goes deeper. When the poem starts to talk about "hoping to see my Pilot face to face," I realized that the symbolism is stronger. These "nighttime" words more symbolize death. When we think of death, we think of being "sound asleep." So, I think that the author is using these terms to represent going into a deep slumber, and meeting the Pilot. However, I strongly believe that the Pilot represents God. Also, I believe that "crossing the bar" refers to "crossing over into another life." So maybe this poem is all about sleeping, but I am convinced that the central theme of the poem is that we should live life to the fullest while we are alive ("awake"). Then, when we do die, we will have the chance to meet the Pilot. Why does Tennyson use the term Pilot? I think that this term symbolizes that God is steering us toward Him in our lives and that we must trust Him completely in order to meet Him at the end of our days.