Crossing the Bar

I feel this poem is more than just a man who takes his boat out to sea at night. I think the poem is symbolic of death, and there is a tone to it which suggests a farewell. There are three lines which really struck me. "and may there be no moaning at the bar" "and may there be no sadness of farewell" "I hope to see my Pilot face to face". The sunset and evening star is calling him to not necessarily die, but to move on to heaven. While the bar, which on the sea would have to be a sand bar refers to the leaving of one life to the next. Like the land is familiar, but the sea he is beginning to float into is the unknown. When the speaker leaves on this journey, he wants no one to be sad. Finally, I think what truly proves the extended metaphor is the word Pilot. The speaker wants to meet his Pilot, Pilot, with a capital P, which ultimately means God. This person is ultimately ready for death.