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Crossing the Bar

This uplifting poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson, probably the most famous poet laureate of the UK, is a sanguine vision of death. The narrator urges their family and friends to not be sad when he or she dies. The maritime imagery of the poem means that it might be especially suitable for funerals of people who have served in the navy or enjoyed sailing.

Sunset and evening star
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;
For though from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar.

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