Crossing the Bar~ Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Within Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem, "Crossing the Bar", the allegory describes a person crossing from death to life. On a superficial level, a man goes to the sea. The sea is tranquil until God calls him home. However, the man symbolizes the soul. Also, the home that is desired by the man is his desire for his ultimate goal of heaven. The sea is Purgatory because he must embark. The man is there until his God, the Pilot, calls him home. He says "may there be no sadness of farewell when I embark (Lord Tennyson 886)" because he wants to go to God. He desires to be in his final resting place in heaven. When he crosses the bar, God permits him into heaven.