The poem's ABAB rhyme scheme mirrors thematic patterns in the stanzas: the first and third stanzas are connected, as are the second and fourth. The pattern is often described as "abc" because of this resemblance to regular meter. Crossing the Bar is one of several poems written by Emily Dickinson. It was first published in 1851 in the Massachusetts Magazine with no title or subtitle attached. Later that year it was included in Emily Dickinson's First Book of Poems. This edition did not include a title page but did include a preface by Thomas Wentworth Higginson who had helped Dickinson publish this book. He praised the poet for her originality and creativity and also commented on Crossing the Bar: "This little poem has attracted my attention by its beauty rather than its subject." Dickinson wrote other poems about the same topic including Two Crossed Roses (1850) and One Hour Before Dawn (c. 1852). These poems differ from each other significantly in style and tone which makes them interesting additions to Crossing the Bar. Two Crossed Roses is very sentimental while One Hour Before Dawn is more abstract with less emphasis on romance. Crossing the Bar is a poem about love lost and found again. The speaker describes how he crossed the river home after being away for a long time.