Crossing the Bar

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

"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,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;

For though 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."

- Alfred Lord Tennyson, 'Crossing the Bar'

One of the most beloved valedictory poems in the English language, Crossing the Bar distills Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s lifelong meditations on faith, mortality, and hope into sixteen lines of remarkable serenity. Through the extended metaphor of a ship quietly departing harbor, Tennyson transforms death from an object of fear into a peaceful voyage toward reunion with the divine “Pilot,” whose presence is felt rather than proclaimed. Its restrained emotional power, flawless lyricism, and luminous maritime imagery exemplify the poet’s extraordinary ability to unite technical precision with spiritual depth. Written near the close of his life, the poem endures as both a deeply personal farewell and a universal expression of quiet courage in the face of life’s final crossing.