CARLOS MANUEL
MARTINHO LAJARIN POESÍA DE LOS SIGLOS XIX Y XX
carmarla@alumni.uv.es
GRUPO – A
In this paper I´m going to
analise the poem: “ Crossing the Bar”, that was initially Published in “
Demeter and Other Poems” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson and to compare this poem with
the picture “ The Light of the World” by William Holman Hunt. I will explain
some metaphors, images or symbols that could be visualized in the picture. This
paper is basically the conexion between painting and poetry.
The poem “ Crossing the Bar” by Lord Tennyson is divided into four
stanzas. Each stanza has four lines. The rythm is ABAB, and we can notice that
the third verse of the first three stanzas and the first verse in the last
stanza are longer than the others.
First we have the title “
Crossing the Bar”. The word “Bar” can be represented as a place. Of course that
means a location on the beach, but it is a place in all ways. And that can be
represented as a path, to cross the bar, to go somewhere. It is like a travel,
it means to cross a way.
In the first line of the poem the author says: “ Sunset and evening
star”. If we look at the picture, we can notice that there is a visual effect.
Because the circle of light on the head of Jesus can represent the sunset that
the poem is talking about, because it is like a sun going down. And also it can
be the crown of Jesus. Also we have in this line the symbol of the star that
makes us remember the birth of Jesus, and a Path to follow to see him at the
end. And if we look at the picture,It is like a path and Jesus is at the end of
the tunnel and the sunset is the star that guides us to him.
In the next line when the author says: “And one clear call for me”. It
makes reference to clarity, it can mean light. As we can see in the picture
Jesus has a lamp in his left hand, a lamp with light. And that light can be
represented as a calling, the “clear call”.
When the author says in
line 3 and 4: “ And may there be no moaning of the bar, when I put out to sea”
means that nothing will stop him from his encounter with Jesus, he won´t look
back when he goes away.
The second stanza
represents tranquility. It is like Jesus that guides him through that path. And
words like “ asleep” “sound and foam” and boundless deep” give us the sensation
of stillness.
Then in the third
stanza, we have the first verse that is like a repetition of the first line of
the poem. As we can see the words and meanings are very similar: the “ Sunset-
Twilight” representing the end of the day; “ and evening” the same words in the
two verses; and “ star- bell” that the two words represent a call. Then when
the author says: “And after that the dark”. He talks about the darkness that
the sunset leaves, that after the twilight comes the dark. And we can see in
the picture that the path is dark and the only light we have is the light that
Jesus gives us after the sunset. Also it can be represented as death. We see
the twilight as an announcement, it is like a travel to death and Jesus is
waiting for us at the end of the tunnel.
In the next line,
when the author says: “ And may there be no sadness of farewell, when I
embark”. This part can be a metaphor. Jesus can represent hope and for that
reason there will be no sadness when he goes on the path of Jesus.
In the last stanza,
we can see one of the most clear symbols of the poem: “ my Pilot”. Jesus is the
Pilot that guides him through the path of darkness ( as we can see in the
picture), and he is the one who is going to help him till the end. “ When I
have crossed the bar” represents the end of the travel, the other side.
CONCLUSION: In the poem “ Crossing the Bar” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson and
in the picture “ The light of the world” by William Holman Hunt both are making
reference to a path of darkness that someone has to cross and Jesus guides that
person with the light to encounter him. I like the way this poem talks about
and describes the last part in the life of a human being, the death.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: “www.victorianweb.org/authors/tennyson/crossing.html”-
George P. Landow; www.victorianweb.org;
Last modified 13 September 2003.
“www.victorianweb.org/painting/whh/replete/P16.html-
George P. Landow; www.victorianweb.org;
Last modified 13 September 2003.