In the poem "Crossing the Bar" by Alfred Lord Tennyson, the sunset and the star symbolize the passage of life and death. The sunset represents the end of life on earth, while the star represents the eternal and infinite nature of the afterlife. The speaker in the poem is asking to be guided across tRead more
In the poem “Crossing the Bar” by Alfred Lord Tennyson, the sunset and the star symbolize the passage of life and death. The sunset represents the end of life on earth, while the star represents the eternal and infinite nature of the afterlife. The speaker in the poem is asking to be guided across the bar, which is a nautical term for the sandbar at the mouth of a harbor that must be crossed in order to reach the open sea. In this context, the bar represents the barrier between life and death, and the speaker is asking to be guided safely across this threshold. The imagery of the sunset and the star serves to convey the idea that death is not an end, but rather a new beginning, and that the soul will continue on to a higher and more eternal existence.
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The allegorical meaning of the poem is to accept death, not out of fear, but as a natural phenomenon and this is the only way to meet God, face-to-face. “Crossing the Bar” is an allegory where the ‘bar’ stands for crossing the boundary between life and death. The poet is in favour of death. He calmlRead more
The allegorical meaning of the poem is to accept death, not out of fear, but as a natural phenomenon and this is the only way to meet God, face-to-face. “Crossing the Bar” is an allegory where the ‘bar’ stands for crossing the boundary between life and death.
The poet is in favour of death. He calmly accepts death and hopes there be “no moaning of the bar” when he departs.
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