Crossing the Bar: Alfred, Lord Tennyson

The central theme of this poem is death. It is metaphorically compared to both night and to crossing a sand bar in a boat. The "Pilot" in the story is alluded to as God, and the sand bar is the point of crossing over into death, or deeper water in the metaphor. The character also speaks of how he wants there to be no sadness when he goes off on his travels. This gives the appearance that he is expecting to die, for whatever reason. I'm not sure if the boat has any specific meaning, as a means of transportation. Additionally, the author uses rhyme scheme in this poem. Perhaps this is supposed to give the appearance of being in a boat on waves (?). The author's descriptions and specific diction help to make this metaphor clear, through words with double meanings.