Crossing the Bar
By Alfred Lord Tennyson
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.
Nautical Tributes: Crossing the Bar Poem
The Crossing the Bar poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson is a quintessential choice for coastal services in Mandurah and Hillarys. Using the metaphor of a ship crossing the sandbar at the mouth of a harbor, it beautifully depicts the soul's journey back to the "boundless deep". Consequently, it is an intellectually honest tribute for those who held a deep affinity for the ocean.
By choosing the Crossing the Bar poem, families can offer a respectful, rhythmic farewell that feels both traditional and deeply personal. It is particularly resonant for families in Western Australia who value the sea as a place of peace and final rest.
Professional Service Tips
- Highly recommended for coastal, nautical, or maritime-themed services in Mandurah.
- Advise the reader to pace the delivery slowly to allow the tidal imagery to land.
- Pair with the sound of waves or nautical music to enhance the atmosphere.
- A dignified choice for military or naval honors during a Perth funeral service.
Who This Poem Suits
Crossing the Bar is one of the oldest and most formally distinguished poems in the funeral reading canon. Its language is elevated, its imagery is precise, and its emotional register is one of dignified acceptance rather than raw grief or warm consolation. It suits families who want something literary and classical — a reading that carries the weight of tradition and genuine poetic craft.
It is an obvious choice for anyone with a connection to the sea — sailors, fishermen, naval personnel, coastal families, or anyone for whom the ocean held deep personal meaning. In Western Australia, where the coast defines so much of daily life across Perth, Mandurah, Rockingham, and the Southwest, this connection is genuine and widespread. A service held near the water, or an ash scattering at sea, becomes particularly resonant with this poem read alongside it.
Beyond the nautical connection, the poem suits services where faith is present — its final stanza contains a direct reference to meeting the "Pilot" at the close, which most readers understand as a meeting with God. This makes it a natural fit for Christian services, particularly Anglican ones given Tennyson's own tradition. It also works for families where belief is present but understated — the poem never becomes doctrinal, and its spiritual content is expressed through image rather than assertion.
It is less suited to services with a light, celebratory tone. Its mood is one of peaceful resolution at evening — beautiful and dignified, but quiet. Families who want an uplifting, forward-looking reading are better served by She Is Gone or The Dash. Crossing the Bar belongs to the more contemplative end of the spectrum.
Delivering the Poem at a Service
The poem is metrically precise — Tennyson was one of the great technical craftsmen of English verse and the rhythm of Crossing the Bar is not accidental. A reader who works with that rhythm rather than against it will find the poem carries itself. Reading slowly and allowing the natural stresses to fall where they fall is enough — there is no need for dramatic emphasis or theatrical delivery.
The central metaphor — a ship crossing the sandbar at the mouth of a harbour at twilight — rewards a reader who understands it. The "bar" is the submerged ridge of sand that separates a sheltered harbour from the open sea; crossing it is the moment of departure into something larger and less known. A reader who holds this image clearly while speaking the words gives the poem its full dimension.
The poem has a natural quietness to it — words like "moaning", "sadness", and "farewell" are explicitly wished away, replaced by the image of a full tide moving silently toward the deep. A reader who matches that quietness in their delivery — speaking without strain, without forced emotion — honours the poem's own instruction.
Note that the version on this page is a partial text. The full poem contains a fourth stanza which is often included at services. Speak with your celebrant about whether to use the partial or complete version — both are used regularly at Australian funerals.
Placement Within the Service
| As a closing reading | The poem's evening imagery — sunset, twilight, the dark — makes it one of the most natural closing readings in the collection. It brings a service to a quiet, dignified end that feels complete rather than abrupt. |
| At a graveside or ash scattering | Read at the moment of committal — graveside, at sea, or at a crematorium — the poem's imagery of departure across water gives the moment a quietly powerful frame. Particularly moving at coastal locations. |
| At a naval or maritime service | For veterans, naval personnel, fishermen, or anyone with a deep connection to the sea, this poem is the natural first choice. Paired with nautical music or the sound of the ocean, it creates a tribute of genuine resonance. |
| At an Anglican or Christian service | Tennyson's own Anglican faith runs through the poem, and it sits naturally within a Christian service. The final stanza's reference to the Pilot gives it a spiritual conclusion that complements scripture readings and hymns. |
The Story Behind the Poem
Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote Crossing the Bar in 1889, three years before his death, reportedly in a single sitting while crossing the Solent — the stretch of water between mainland England and the Isle of Wight. He was 80 years old. The poem was published that same year and Tennyson himself requested that it always be placed last in any collection of his work. He considered it his definitive statement on death and on faith — the poem he wanted to be remembered by above all others.
The "bar" in the title is a sandbar — a shallow ridge at the mouth of a harbour that a departing vessel must cross before reaching open water. In Tennyson's metaphor, this crossing represents the moment of death: the passage from the sheltered, familiar waters of life into the vast and boundless deep beyond. He explicitly asks that this crossing be made without grief or sadness — not because loss doesn't matter, but because he views the crossing as a return home rather than a departure.
Tennyson was Poet Laureate of Great Britain for over forty years — the longest tenure in the role's history — and one of the most widely read poets of the Victorian era. Crossing the Bar reflects both his technical mastery and his lifelong preoccupation with mortality, faith, and the nature of what lies beyond death. Earlier poems like In Memoriam had grappled with grief and doubt; Crossing the Bar arrives at a kind of calm certainty that reads as the resolution of a long journey.
The poem has been used at funerals in Australia since the colonial era and remains one of the most recognised classical readings in the country. In Western Australia particularly, where the relationship between communities and the sea is deep and practical — fishing, naval history, coastal living — its imagery carries a weight that goes beyond the purely literary.
Related Readings and Poems
If Crossing the Bar resonates with your family, these readings share a similar dignity, sense of passage, or spiritual comfort:
- All Is Well (Death Is Nothing At All) by Henry Scott Holland — shares Crossing the Bar's sense of death as transition rather than ending, expressed in warmer, more conversational prose. A natural companion piece for Christian or spiritual services.
- Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep — finds comfort in the natural world around us, as Tennyson finds it in the sea. Both poems locate the departed in the elements rather than in absence.
- The Irish Blessing — a traditional Celtic prayer offering protection and the hope of reunion. Shares the poem's quiet spiritual confidence and works well alongside it in the same service.
- Funeral Blues by W.H. Auden — the tonal opposite of Crossing the Bar, for families who want to also give voice to grief in its most intense form before moving to a more peaceful close.
Browse our full Funeral Readings and Poems collection for more options across religious, secular, and contemporary styles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "crossing the bar" mean?
The "bar" is a sandbar — a shallow ridge of sand at the mouth of a harbour that a departing ship must cross before reaching the open sea. In Tennyson's poem, this crossing is a metaphor for death: the passage from the familiar, sheltered waters of life into whatever lies beyond. The poem asks that this crossing be made without grief, framing death not as an ending but as a return to the "boundless deep" from which life originally came.
Who is the "Pilot" mentioned in the poem?
The full version of the poem ends with the hope of meeting the Pilot "face to face" when the crossing is complete. Tennyson understood the Pilot as God — the guiding presence that has been with the speaker throughout life but has remained unseen, as a harbour pilot guides a vessel through water without always being visible to those on board. For Christian families this reference is clear and comforting; for others it can be understood more broadly as a meeting with whatever awaits beyond.
Is the poem appropriate for a non-religious service?
The first three stanzas — the version shown on this page — contain no explicit religious content and work well at secular services. The fourth stanza, which references the Pilot, is more overtly spiritual. Many celebrants at secular services use only the first three stanzas for this reason, which leaves the poem's nautical beauty and sense of peaceful passage intact without the theological reference. Discuss with your celebrant which version suits your service.
Is there a copyright restriction on this poem?
No. Tennyson died in 1892 and the poem is firmly in the public domain. You can reproduce it in any format — printed orders of service, memorial cards, online tributes, or anywhere else — without any licence, permission, or fee. There are no restrictions on its use in any context.
How long does the poem take to read?
The three-stanza version shown on this page takes approximately 45–60 seconds at a slow, considered pace. The full four-stanza version takes around 75–90 seconds. Either fits comfortably within a service — the shorter version is more common at Australian funerals but the complete poem has a particular sense of resolution that some families prefer.