Crossing the Bar

First, sunset and evening star are metaphors for death. The sun is setting meaning your life is ending on earth and the moon takes the place of the sun. The person is in a different place with the moon instead of the sun. "Twilight and evening bell,/ And after that the dark!" (9-10). These are also metaphors for the last moments of one's life. The sky becomes darker with the twilight and the evening bell signifies the end of the day. After these things, the dark, meaning death. In line 15, the speaker refers to the "Pilot." The speaker "hope[s] to see [his] Pilot face to face." This is an allusion to God. The speaker wants to finally be in heaven to see the face of his creator and actually meet him.