Tone 2: Crossing the Bar

"And may there be no sadness of farewell" line 11

I found this poem to be an extended metaphor for death. The line "and may there be no moaning of the bar" and line 11 reflect the image of death. The speaker is telling people not to mourn over his passing. By the description of the sunset and tides in the poem, it seems that the speaker wants a peaceful death. Perhaps he hopes to die in his sleep. I think that he sees a peaceful passing as a reason for people not to mourn. Maybe he hopes that if people realize he didn't suffer, they would have no reason to grieve. The last stanza provides the speaker's hope in afterlife. The speaker wants to "see his Pilot face to face." His Pilot is God. A pilot is someone that steers a ship in the right direction. God is the Pilot that steered the speakers life in the right direction. "Crossing the bar" seems to be the ultimate task, which is getting into heaven.