By Noah, Danny, Zac, Hunter and Brandt Crossing the Bar By Noah, Danny, Zac, Hunter and Brandt

Author’s Bio Alfred Tennyson was born August 6, 1809 in Somersby, Lincolnshire. Tennyson’s life as a child was hard and impoverished. He and his brothers left home and went to attend Cambridge, He joined the elite club, The Apostles, after his poetry gave him a name. He had a history of mental health that grew with his age. His most successful poem, “The Princess” launched him to the top of poetry in the Victorian era. He died October 6, 1892, at the age of 83.

Poem

Poem Analysis This particular poem was written when Tennyson was 80 and recovering from a serious illness while at sea. The poem contains a traditional ABAB rhyme scheme. The poem begins poet saying how he feels his time is drawing to a close and how he is accepted his death and is excited for what is next. In the last two stanzas, his death has come and he has no reason to mourn because he hopes to see God in his afterlife.

Literary Elements/Devices The author uses imagery when he says, “Sunset and evening star” in line 1. He is setting the scene for what will be soon to come. In line 16 when the author says “When I have crossed the bar.” he is using it as a metaphor for a person who has just died crossing into the afterlife. In line 3 when the author says “And may there be no moaning of the bar” he is using personification because the bar can’t actually make sounds.

Theme In the poem “Crossing The Bar” the theme is death. In the poem he says “moaning of the bar.” By this he is saying he hears the sounds of waves crashing onto the sandbar. If the sandbar is the boundary between life and death then “Crossing The Bar” is all about crossing from life and death.

Speaker’s attitude (Tone) The speaker has a very nonchalant attitude about death. He talks about going out to sea and night time coming, which means that his death is coming soon. The nonchalant attitude comes from him not showing much emotion and asking others not to be sad when he goes.