ENGLISH LITERATURE

PROJECT

Name: Kapil Singh

Class: 12
Section: D
Roll Number: 30
Board Roll Number: 018
 INDEX
Title Page No.

1
Acknowledgement

2
Introduction

Analysis of the theme of Acceptance of 3-5

Death in the poem,” Crossing the Bar”

6
Conclusion

7
Bibliography

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
 I would like to express my special thanks to my English teacher Mr.
Prosenjeet Dasgupta as well as my
principal Ms. Promini Chopra ma’am who gave me the golden
opportunity to do this project on the topic
“Analysis of the theme of Acceptance of Death in the poem, Crossing
the Bar”. This project helped me interpret literature better and
develop a habit of deep thinking.

I would also like to thank my parents and friends who helped me

with this project, without the help of whom it would not have been
successful.

INTRODUCTION
 A) Explanation of the question-
The main theme of the poem “Crossing the bar” is acceptance of death. The reason
for analyzing this theme is to delve deep into the thought process of the poet and
understand their thinking behind the poem and to know what the poem thought
about his own life after death .

B) Reason for choosing the text-

I have always been interested by the concept of life, death, immortality and the
various emotions that humans have pertaining to these topics. Tennyson discusses
the course of his death, how he wants his death to be, indicating that he is ready to
embrace the ultimate truth. However, what makes the poem even more special is
the discussion on immortality. Tennyson considers death as a means of returning
back to his true home, which is boundless/limitless. Likewise, He talks about God
Almighty being the pilot of his life and death, and that he will meet the Pilot
ultimately. Thus, I wanted to analyse this theme of the poem so as to better
understand this beautiful piece of elegy and what was the emotions were the poet
feeling while writing this piece.

C) Interpretation of the poem and literary material used-

Crossing the Bar is a poem written by Alfred Tennyson, a poet laureate of Queen
Victoria’s reign. The poet uses symbolism to relate to the concept of death and its
acceptance by man. Using the example of a sandbar that separates land and sea, the
poet describes passing away as much more than a simple act of absence from this
world but rather a journey to the next one, which is actually where you came from.

Q- Analyse the theme of Acceptance of

Death in the poem,” Crossing the Bar”
Death is random and swift for some while it is slow and predictable for others but
what unites them both is the fact that death will come to us all one day and how
one must learn to accept it. Tennyson portrays a strict belief in the existence of
God . He preaches the idea of God being a “Pilot”. Someone who usually steers or
takes control of something however here , it is used to depict God in an advisory
role as well. Man has control over his own life through his acts however he is
subconsciously guided by God throughout his existence. The afterlife experience
is described as a plane of existence that borders the world of the living just like a
sandbar which separates land and sea. Throughout the poem, the poet has listed
events that are related to the end of something. There is more emphasis on death
being a peaceful transition rather than an idea which haunts the living. The
futility of fighting against death and living in denial of its arrival is touched upon in
the poem.

It begins with the mention of sunset and an “evening star”, calling

out the end of day. Venus, the planet, is visible during sunset. The cycle of day
and night has often been used to describe a climactic setting, here it is used to
describe death. The poet wants this transfer to be quiet and silent. The line, ”And
may there be no moaning of the sea” presents the fact that Tennyson wants no
overt act of noise or sadness when he dies. He does not want people to grieve as
death is just existence in another plane rather than absence. The acceptance of
death as a smooth transition which should be peaceful is highlighted as we move
on in the poem. Clearly, the poem helps the readers to come to terms with
something unpredictable yet established, one learns more about how to feel
about it and understand its basic motive. Yet, the more people age, the more they
embrace denial and distortion of reality. It is a human trait and one that can be
generalized. Many treat accepting death same as accepting your defeat and the
defeat of your will to live. This is when people confuse themselves about the
difference in valuing life and understanding the unattainable idea of immortality.

The afterlife is described by Tennyson like a tide of the sea which is “too full for
sound or foam”. Just like the sea, it is a “boundless deep” a place from which the
soul rises into the world and returns back to after death. Therefore, he has called
it a return to home. It is not a strange place rather the poet wants to convey that
the afterlife is the same place where we come from during our birth. A scenario is
thrown at the reader, what if death is not some dreadful unknown experience?
Rather an act of homecoming. Proceed to the next stanza and the poet’s religious
symbolism comes into play. Lord Tennyson has used the practice of evening bell in
churches, wrung after a series of evening prayers to symbolize closeness to God
and signifying the brief meetup that will take place when he has finally passed
away. Humans have established traditions and different faiths throughout history,
all to seek closeness or to bear audience to the concept of a divine power ruling
over us all. Just as a ship sets out on a journey, the poet embarks on a voyage to
return “home”.

Time is a man-made concept, human beings have created

constructs to decipher and interpret the world they live in. Things like
mathematics, science and psychology all seize to be in the world beyond this one.
There is nothing there of this world yet it is the home we all long for as per Alfred.
It is the domain of God and has no location or circadian rhythm. The poet is
hopeful of passing across the world and facing God, his creator, once again. God
has guided him throughout life. He advocates complete submission of one’s will
to God during one’s final hours. A famous phrase comes to mind,” Jesus take the
wheel”. It means precisely what it says, to let the divine power control and handle
life. As humans, we can only do so much , the rest is in the hand of the heavens.
Therefore, this poem not only conveys acceptance of death but helps one take on
this idea with ease by teaching the reality of human control.

Crossing the Bar has emphasized on prospects like peace, harmony and death as a
return to home to help people tone down the scenario that one day, this
existence we know, will be taken away or lost to us. Death is certain for all, people
are born into this world and they will continue to be born just as people die and
how they will continue to die. The comparison of the cycle of night and day comes
into effect, every birth is a new day and every death is a peaceful night that
descends upon the earth, no one knows precisely when night will come but we all
know it will. However, every night will transpire into the light of a new day that is
what death is according to Tennyson. It may not necessarily mean birth but it
does mean return to a similar place. Death is not the end, it is a mere
continuation and that is why we must not fear it. What we can do instead is
accept it when it comes while fearing a painful passing and hoping for a peaceful
one. That is how humans go about their day, we are constantly aware of it in our
subconscious yet we move on with our day. We try to fulfill our wishes and
desires so that when death does come, we feel we lead a life worth living and it is
easier to accept the end of our time on this planet.

CONCLUSION
Lord Tennyson’s favourite poem, Crossing the Bar is a perfect elegy, possessing all
the essential elements to qualify as one. Secondly, the emotions portrayed in the
poem are deep and multi-layered, which is a good reason why it continues to be a
subject of study even after 120 years since it was written.
Just as a ship sets out to sea, the poet wishes to embark on his journey too. The
piece helps one get a new perspective of death, one that is peaceful and soothing
and frankly, one that people will be glad to accept. I believe the poet succeeded in
conveying this message and establishing a solid base regarding his interpretation
of life and death.

BIBILIOGRAPHY
Reverie a Collection of ISC Poems

Workbook on reverie: A collection of ISC poems.

www.bombayreads.com/

https://www.litcharts.com/