Statue of Liberty Poem by Emma Lazarus Statue of Liberty Poem The Statue of Liberty poem as it is known, was written by Emma Lazarus and is named "The New Colossus". The Statue of Liberty poem is actually a sonnet by Lazarus written to raise money for the building of the base and is now engraved on a bronze plaque and contained inside of the Statue of Liberty. At first, Lazarus had refused to write the Statue of Liberty poem, but her friend Constance Cary Harrison convinced her that immigrants would be inspired by seeing the statuesque Lady Liberty welcoming them ashore. Emma eventually wrote the poem and it was donated for auction at the Bartholdi Pedestal Fund. The New Colossus Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she With silent lips.

"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" The beginning of the Statue of Liberty poem refers to the Colossus of Rhodes, which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The Colossus of Rhodes is actually a statue of the Greek god Helios, which stood over 100 feet tall (the tallest of its time) before it was destroyed by earthquake in 226 BC. So, the Statue of Liberty poem refers to this new giant statue likened to the old that represented the god of light. The Statue of Liberty poem also sets itself apart from Helios in that the Mother of Exiles is more welcoming than conquering. She welcomes all castaways, misfits and homeless types dreaming of freedom. EMMA LAZARUS; FAMOUS POEM :"THE NEW COLOSSUS" Statue of Liberty National Monument Emma Lazarus Famous Poem A poem by Emma Lazarus is graven on a tablet within the pedestal on which the statue stands.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. "Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" History of Liberty State Park The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Photos On the New York Harbor, less than 2,000 feet from the Statue of Liberty, Liberty State Park has served a vital role in the development of New Jersey's metropolitan region and the history of the nation. During the 19th and early 20th centuries the area that is now Liberty State Park was a major waterfront industrial area with an extensive freight and passenger transportation network. This network became the lifeline of New York City and the harbor area.

The heart of this transportation network was the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal (CRRNJ), located in the northern portion of the park. The CRRNJ Terminal stands with the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island to unfold one of this nation's most dramatic stories: the immigration of northern, southern, and eastern Europeans into the United States. After being greeted by the Statue of Liberty and processed at Ellis Island, these immigrants purchased tickets and boarded trains, at the CRRNJ Terminal, that took them to their new homes throughout the United States. The Terminal served these immigrants as the gateway to the realization of their hopes and dreams of a new life in America. Today, Liberty State Park continues to serve a vital role in the New York Harbor area. As the railroads and industry declined, the land was abandoned and became a desolate dump site. With the development of Liberty State Park came a renaissance of the waterfront. Land with decaying buildings, overgrown tracks and piles of debris was transformed into a modern urban state park. The park was formerly opened on Flag Day, June 14, 1976, as New Jersey's bicentennial gift to the nation.

Most of this 1,122 acre park is open space with approximately 300 acres developed for public recreation. Statue of Liberty poem provided by “Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame…” Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. “Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she with silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” About the Author Emma Lazarus Emma Lazarus, the poetess, is probably best known for her poem associated with the Statue of Liberty. Her poem has become one of the quintessential statements of a U.S. ideal of open immigration.

Her poem “The New Colossus” stands as a stirring statement of the American ethos. Emma Lazarus was born to Moses and Esther Nathan Lazarus in New York City on July 22, 1849. Emma grew up in a prominent fourth generation Jewish family, one of the oldest in New York City. She was well educated and by age 25 was a published poet and author. She wrote “The New Colossus” in 1883 for an art auction “in Aid of the Bartholdi Pedestal Fund.” While France had provided the statue itself, American fundraising efforts like these paid for the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal. In 1903, sixteen years after her death, Lazarus’ sonnet was engraved on a plaque and placed in the pedestal as a memorial. About The New Colossus President Grover Cleveland delivered an address at Liberty’s dedication ceremony in October of 1886 and finally unveiled the statue to the American people. In 1903 the sonnet “The New Colossus” by American poet Emma Lazarus was inscribed in bronze at the base of the statue, enhancing the Statue of Liberty’s image as a symbol of freedom and opportunity.

In 1924 the statue was declared a national monument and was fully restored in 1986 by a French-American rehabilitation project to celebrate its centennial year. The History of the Statue of Liberty Officially named Liberty Enlightening the World, the Statue of Liberty was designed by French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi. After finalizing the design, wooden molds were made over which copper sheets were attached and hammered into shape. The copper shell was then joined to an internal iron structure designed by Gustave Eiffel, the man who later built the Eiffel Tower. The statue was funded completely through donations made by the French people to commemorate the centennial of the alliance between the United States and France during the American Revolution. On the 4th of July, 1884, the 151 feet (46 meters) tall 225 ton Statue of Liberty was delivered to the American Ambassador in Paris. The Statue of Liberty was then dismantled into 300 pieces and packed into 214 wooden crates in order to bring it to New York Harbor.

The Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor on June 17, 1886, and was placed on a massive monument designed by Richard Morris Hunt. The concrete and granite pedestal was surrounded by a star-shaped wall, which was part of Fort Wood, originally built to defend New York during the War of 1812. Emma Lazarus - Statue Of Liberty National Monument (U.S. National Park Service) Emma Lazarus A portrait of Emma Lazarus. National Park Service, Statue of Liberty NM Born on July 22, 1849 in New York City to a wealthy sugar refining family of Portuguese Sephardic Jewish descent, Emma Lazarus was the poet who wrote "The New Colossus." Aside from writing, Lazarus was also involved in charitable work for refugees. At Ward's Island, she worked as an aide for Jewish immigrants who had been detained by Castle Garden immigration officials. She was deeply moved by the plight of the Russian Jews she met there and these experiences influenced her writing.

In 1883, William Maxwell Evarts and author Constance Cary Harrison asked Lazarus to compose a sonnet for the "Art Loan Fund Exhibition in Aid of the Bartholdi Pedestal Fund for the Statue of Liberty" - an art and literary auction to raise funds for the Statue's pedestal run by the American Committee for the Statue of Liberty. In turn, Lazarus, inspired by her own Sephardic Jewish heritage, her experiences working with refugees on Ward's Island, and the plight of the immigrant, wrote "The New Colossus" on November 2, 1883. After the auction, the sonnet appeared in Joseph Pulitzer 's New York World as well as The New York Times. She died in New York City on November 19, 1887, most likely from Hodgkin's lymphoma and was buried in Brooklyn. National Park Service, Statue of Liberty NM A book containing the poem "The New Colossus" Lazarus' famous sonnet depicts the Statue as the "Mother of Exiles:" a symbol of immigration and opportunity - symbols associated with the Statue of Liberty today. After its initial popularity however, the sonnet slowly faded from public memory.

It was not until 1901, 17 years after Lazarus's death, that Georgina Schuyler, a friend of hers, found a book containing the sonnet in a bookshop and organized a civic effort to resurrect the lost work. Her efforts paid off and in 1903, words from the sonnet were inscribed on a plaque and placed on the inner wall of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. Today, the plaque is on display in the Statue of Liberty Exhibit in the Statue's pedestal. Emma Lazarus | MyBatMitzvahStory Cool Jewish Women Emma Lazarus - Writer and Activist Inspired by the experience of Jewish immigrants coming to America, Emma Lazarus wrote a poem called “The New Colossus.” These words are inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty. Who she was: Emma began writing as a young child. By her early twenties, her talent was recognized by other writers of the time. Emma’s poems and literary criticism often dealt with Jewish themes. What she did: In 1883, Emma was asked to write a poem as part of an effort to raise money for the Statue of Liberty. She drew inspiration from her work with Jewish immigrants.

Entitled “The New Colossus,” the poem conveys the hardships of the immigrant experience. In 1903, 16 years after Emma’s death, “The New Colossus” was inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty and remains there today. “The New Colossus” By Emma Lazarus Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" Why she's cool: By the late 1800s, tensions were rising in Russia and violence against Jews was common, leading many Eastern European Jews to immigrate to America.

Emma became an advocate for the new immigrants, using her pen to call attention to their plight in Europe and volunteering her time to help those who had recently arrived in America. About being Jewish: Emma Lazarus never personally experienced the challenges faced by Jews who had immigrated to America to escape oppression and persecution in Eastern Europe. Yet the words she wrote—“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free”— captured the American immigrant experience so perfectly that they still inspire us today. The Statue of Liberty: Bringing “The New Colossus” to America | EDSITEment The Statue of Liberty: Bringing “The New Colossus” to America Created October 6, 2010 E Pluribus Unum —"From many, one" "Your sonnet gives its subject a raison d'etre."—The poet James Russell Lowell in a letter to Emma Lazarus, 17 December 1883, Letters to Emma Lazarus in the Columbia University Library, ed. Ralph L. Rusk (New York: New York Public Library, 1949), p. 74.

Even if they have never heard of the nineteenth-century poet and activist Emma Lazarus, most Americans will probably recognize these lines from her sonnet "The New Colossus" : Give me your tired, your poor Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Since 1902, when the poem was engraved on a bronze plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty, "The New Colossus" has helped to shape our sense of the statue as a symbol of hope for millions of immigrants. Yet Lazarus's poem was written almost twenty years previously, in conjunction with an auction held in 1883 to raise funds for a pedestal. The Centennial celebration of 1876, for which the statue had been originally intended, had come and gone, and while the French had kept their end of the bargain by completing the statue itself, the Americans had still not fulfilled their commitment to erect a pedestal. In this lesson, students learn about the effort to convince a skeptical American public to contribute to the effort to erect a pedestal and to bring the Statue of Liberty to New York.

With its focus on events surrounding America's Centennial, this lesson thus provides excellent capstone activities for students in grades 6–8 who are studying U.S. history through 1877. It also provides guided explorations of primary historical materials for students at the 6–8 or more advanced levels who are learning about Gilded Age society or about immigration issues in the late nineteenth century. The first three activities—in which students compare nineteenth-century and modern ideas about the statue and its symbolic meanings, analyze primary historical documents, and discuss Emma Lazarus's sonnet—may be taught together or separately. The fourth activity, in which students write letters to imaginary groups of nineteenth-century readers to explain the meaning of the Statue of Liberty, is best taught in conjunction with at least one of the preceding activities. Guiding Questions How was a skeptical American public persuaded to support bringing the Statue of Liberty to the United States?

Learning Objectives Discuss the meaning of symbols associated with the statue Compare Bartholdi's original vision of the statue to its meaning for Americans today Learn how the American public in the 1870s and 1880s was persuaded to contribute to a pedestal fund for the Statue of Liberty Analyze two primary historical documents: a political cartoon and a magazine article on the fundraising effort, both from 1885 Read and analyze Emma Lazarus' sonnet, "The New Colossus" Learn about public attitudes toward immigration in the last decades of the nineteenth century Write a persuasive letter to a specific nineteenth-century audience to gain support for bringing the statue to America Preparation Instructions Teachers can find a detailed account of the statue's origins on The National Park Service website, a link from the EDSITEment resource The Internet Public Library . There is another excellent and well-written essay on the history of the statue available through the American Park Network , also a link on The Internet Public Library . A student-oriented introduction to the history of the statue's arrival in America is available from America's Library , a link on the EDSITEment-reviewed American Memory .

From the same source, they can also read an essay on the Gilded Age , which will give students some background on the period they will be studying in this lesson. Historical Background (for your convenience, the following account synthesizes the disparate narratives available on the web resources listed above): Since 1902, when Emma Lazarus's famous sonnet was engraved on a bronze plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty, "The New Colossus" has helped to shape our sense of the statue as a symbol of hope for millions of immigrants. Yet in 1883, when she wrote the poem, that symbolic meaning reflected what was still a novel and uncommon perspective. Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi had conceived of "Liberty Enlightening the World" as an emblem of solidarity between the people of France and the U.S. and a sign of their mutual desire for liberty. Written in 1883 for an art auction "In Aid of the Bartholdi Pedestal Fund," Lazarus's poem was part of a larger effort to persuade an often skeptical or indifferent public to contribute funds for the American commitment to build the pedestal for the statue.

Because Lazarus, a well-known and well-connected poet in New York, was interested in issues of immigration and justice, these subjects naturally enough found their way into the poem. Whether accidental or intentional, the emphasis in "The New Colossus" on immigration expresses a prescient view: today the Statue of Liberty continues to greet new immigrants and embodies opportunity and freedom for those seeking a better life in America. At the time Lazarus wrote her poem, however, prospects for Lady Liberty's own arrival in the U.S. did not look bright. Despite the country's unprecedented economic growth during its so-called Gilded Age (1878–1889), the statue's supporters struggled to raise funds. No money at all had been raised by 1876, America's Centennial and the date originally planned for the statue's inauguration. In New York City, wealthy patrons of the arts were reluctant to support the venture, and the middle classes felt that contributing to the statue was the responsibility of the rich; others wondered whether the money might not be better spent in aid of the poor. Elsewhere in the country, few were inclined to donate money for a large French sculpture in New York.

By means of benefit theatrical events, art exhibitions and auctions (such as the occasion for which Lazarus' poem was written), and even prize fights, funds were slowly gathered. But too slowly: by 1885, it was clear that these efforts had been inadequate. The breakthrough and turning point came when a Hungarian immigrant named Joseph Pulitzer used the power of his newspaper, The World, to rouse, persuade, cajole, browbeat, and in some cases even shame the public into donating to the pedestal fund. It was an enormous success. The pedestal was built, the statue assembled, and the dedication made on October 29, 1886. To find information on the issue of immigration and urban growth in late-nineteenth-century America, consult the EDSITEment resource American Memory , which features a lesson on immigration . You can learn more about Ellis Island from the National Park Service , a link on the EDSITEment resource The Internet Public Library . Lesson Activities The idea of assimilation and the notion of U.S. as a "melting pot" Activity 4. Persuading the American Public: Writing a Letter Assign, or allow students to choose, one of the following writing scenarios.

Add to, subtract from, or otherwise adapt the text of each assignment according to your students' needs and level of preparation: Scenario 1: The year is 1885, and Joseph Pulitzer has not yet begun his successful campaign to fund the pedestal for Bartholdi's statue. Hoping to garner support for the pedestal fund, you write a letter for a newsletter on the arts that will be read by many of New York's wealthiest patrons. Your friend, Emma Lazarus, has shared with you a sonnet she wrote on the subject, and has given you permission to paraphrase or quote freely from her poem. Thus far, however, wealthy New Yorkers have been reluctant to donate to the pedestal fund. Privately, many of these people have shared with you (for you are yourself one of these wealthy patrons) some of their concerns: - "I don't understand the symbolism of this statue. It seems to me a mishmash of conflicting symbols. What holds it all together? Why is there a crown? A torch?" - "Why on earth is the statue to be facing out over the ocean?

Shouldn't it face towards land, where the people of New York can enjoy it?" - "What will this do for the city of New York? Wouldn't my money be better invested in another museum, or a university?" Scenario 2: The year is 1876, and not a penny has yet been raised in the U.S. to support the statue. You are a hardworking, middle-class citizen of Kansas City, Missouri, who by chance met up with Bartholdi on his 1871 trip across America (you can read about this trip in the American Park Network essay). His vision of the statue and of the American nation impressed you, and you want to share it with others in your city. So you decide to write a letter to your local paper, addressing all the citizens of Kansas City. In recent days, however, articles and letters to the paper have expressed the following sentiments: -"Why should we support a statue in New York City? What has this got to do with Kansas City?" -"The money would be better spent to support all the poor people crowded into New York slums." -"Let the rich pay for it.

New York has plenty of wealth and they should pay for the statue." Scenario 3: The year is 1883, and the Chinese Exclusion Act has just passed. You are a writer living in San Francisco and you have been concerned about the fate of new immigrants to this country since the 1870s when you witnessed attacks on Chinese workers by citizens who thought that they were "stealing American jobs." The local newspaper invites you to write a short piece on the national effort to fund the statue of Liberty. So you travel East, and attend a benefit art auction where a poem by Emma Lazarus is read. You find the ideas in the poem very striking, and decide to work them in to a short newspaper article that will: 1) describe Bartholdi's "Liberty Enlightening the World" for readers who may be unfamiliar with the project; 2) explain Emma Lazarus' position to an audience who may have rather less favorable views of immigration. Since you are commissioned as a "travel writer" and not an ordinary journalist, you are encouraged to write in a personal style and insert whatever commentary you think might be of interest to your San Francisco audience.

Extending The Lesson Writing assignment: E Pluribus Unum Assign students to small groups, each of which contains at least one representative from each of the three audiences described above. Tell students that their group is a "blue ribbon panel" selected by the President to draft a statement that will be read at the inauguration of the Statue of Liberty in 1886. Their statement should be entitled E Pluribus Unum, and it should be addressed to everyone living in the U.S., rich and poor, urban and rural, citizen and noncitizen, of every race, gender, religion, geographical region, and country of origin. The statement should explain the meaning of the statue and why it is an important symbol for all Americans. Related EDSITEment Lesson Plans Emma Lazarus, Poet of the Huddled Masses : NPR Emma Lazarus, Poet of the Huddled Masses Embed Embed Emma Lazarus, Poet of the Huddled Masses Emma Lazarus, Poet of the Huddled Masses Embed Embed This sketch of Emma Lazarus was made in about 1880, when she was about 30 years old. The poet lived from 1849-1887.

Scroll down to see some of Lazarus' poetry Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Hulton Archive/Getty Images This sketch of Emma Lazarus was made in about 1880, when she was about 30 years old. The poet lived from 1849-1887. Scroll down to see some of Lazarus' poetry Hulton Archive/Getty Images In her poem The New Colossus, Emma Lazarus created what stood for years as an American credo. You know the words: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..." The words of the poem were engraved on a bronze plaque hung in the Statue of Liberty museum 20 years after her death. To many, the verse expressed the governing U.S. attitude toward immigrants: welcome. But today, a new debate over immigration is dominating the political debate. So it's a good time to take a new look at the writer. Esther Schor, poet and professor of English at Princeton University, offers that chance with a new biography: Emma Lazarus. Lazarus was a Sephardic Jew, a descendant of people expelled from Spain centuries before.

She often wrote about the "Jewish plight" in her poetry. She was an early Jewish nationalist — advocating for a Jewish state in Palestine as early as the 1880s. Near the end of her life she became an advocate for disenfranchised immigrants, who were arriving by the thousands in the late 1800s. She wrote The New Colossus at age 34. Less than five years later she was dead of cancer, never knowing the impact her poem had on the nation. Article continues after sponsorship October 21, 200611:16 AM ET Three of Emma Lazarus' poems, including her most famous, The New Colossus: The New Colossus Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset fates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she With silent lips.

"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" Heroes The scarlet creeper reddens over graves, Among the solemn trees enlooped with vines; Heroic spirits haunt the solitudes, — The noble souls of half a million braves, Amid the murmurous pines. Ah! who is left behind, Earnest and eloquent, sincere and strong, To consecrate their memories with words Not all unmeet? with fitting dirge and song To chant a requiem purer than the wind, And sweeter than the birds?

Here, though all seems at peace, The placid, measureless sky serenely fair, The laughter of the breeze among the leaves, The bars of sunlight slanting through the trees, The reckless wild-flowers blooming everywhere, The grasses' delicate sheaves, — Nathless each breeze that blows, Each tree that trembles to its leafy head With nervous life, revives within our mind, Tender as flowers of May, the thoughts of those Who lie beneath the living beauty, dead, — Beneath the sunshine, blind. For brave dead soldiers, these: Blessings and tears of aching thankfulness, Soft flowers for the graves in wreaths enwove, The odorous lilac of dear memories, The heroic blossoms of the wilderness, And the rich rose of love. But who has sung their praise, Not less illustrious, who are living yet?

Armies of heroes, satisfied to pass Calmly, serenely from the whole world's gaze, And cheerfully accept, without regret, Their old life as it was, With all its petty pain, Its irritating littleness and care; They who have scaled the mountain, with content Sublime, descend to live upon the plain; Steadfast as though they breathed the mountain-air Still, wheresoe'er they went. They who were brave to act, And rich enough their action to forget; Who, having filled their day with chivalry, Withdraw and keep their simpleness intact, And all unconscious add more luster yet Unto their victory. On the broad Western plains Their patriarchal life they live anew; Hunters as mighty as the men of old, Or harvesting the plenteous, yellow grains, Gathering ripe vintage of dusk bunches blue, Or working mines of gold; Or toiling in the town, Armed against hindrance, weariness, defeat, With dauntless purpose not to swerve or yield, And calm, defiant strength, they struggle on, As sturdy and as valiant in the street, As in the camp and field.

And those condemned to live, Maimed, helpless, lingering still through suffering years, May they not envy now the restful sleep Of the dear fellow-martyrs they survive? Not o'er the dead, but over these, your tears, O brothers, ye may weep! New England fields I see, The lovely, cultured landscape, waving grain, Wide, haughty rivers, and pale, English skies. And lo! A farmer ploughing busily, Who lifts a swart face, looks upon the plain, — I see, in his frank eyes, Thus in the common fields and streets they stand; The light that on the past and distant gleams, They cast upon the present and the near, With antique virtues from some mystic land, Of knightly deeds and dreams. Crowing of the Red Cock Across the Eastern sky has flowed The flicker of a blood-red dawn, Once more the clarion cock has crowed, Once more the sword of Christ is drawn. A million burning rooftrees light The world-wide path of Israel's flight. Where is the Hebrew's fatherland? The folk of Christ is sore bestead; The Son of Man is bruised and banned, Nor finds whereon to lay his head.

His cup is gall, his meat is tears, His passion lasts a thousand years. Each crime that wakes in man the beast, Is visited upon his kind. The lust of mobs, the greed of priest, The tyranny of kings, combined To root his seed from earth again, His record is one cry of pain. When the long roll of Christian guilt Against his sires and kin is known, The flood of tears, the life-blood split, The agony of ages shown, What oceans can the stain remove, From Christian law and Christian love? Nay, close the book; not now, not here, The hideous tale of sin narrate, Reechoing in the martyr's ear, Even he might nurse revengeful hate, Even he might turn in wrath sublime, With blood for blood and crime for crime. Coward? Not he, who faces death, Who singly against worlds has fought, For what? A name he may not breathe, For liberty of prayer and thought. The angry sword he will not whet, His nobler task is — to forget.

The New Colossus - Poems | Academy of American Poets Academy of American Poets The Academy of American Poets is the largest membership-based nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting American poets. For over three generations, the Academy has connected millions of people to great poetry through programs such as National Poetry Month, the largest literary celebration in the world; Poets.org, the Academy’s popular website; American Poets, a biannual literary journal; and an annual series of poetry readings and special events. Since its founding, the Academy has awarded more money to poets than any other organization. browse poems & poets sign up to receive a new poem-a-day in your inbox sign up poem About this poet A descendant of Sephardic Jews who immigrated to the United States from Portugal around the time of the American Revolution, Emma Lazarus was born in New York City on July 22, 1849. Before Lazarus, the only Jewish poets published in the United States were humor and hymnal writers. Her book Songs of a Semite was the first collection of poetry to explore Jewish-American identity while struggling with the problems of modern poetics.

Her family was wealthy, and Lazarus was educated at home, acquiring a knowledge of Greek and Latin classics, as well as the modern literature of Germany, Italy, and France. Lazarus developed an affinity for verse at an early age. As a teenager, she began translating the poems of Victor Hugo, Heinrich Heine, Alexandre Dumas, and Friedrich Schiller. Lazarus began publishing poems in the 1860s and 1870s, including translations of German poems. In 1866, her father arranged for the poems and translations she wrote between the ages of fourteen and sixteen to be privately printed, and the following year a commercially published volume titled Poems and Translations followed. The work attracted the attention of poets and critics, including Ralph Waldo Emerson , who became her friend and mentor. Lazarus published another volume of poetry, Admetus and Other Poems (1871); a novel, Alide: An Episode in Goethe's Life (1874); and a verse drama, The Spagnoletto (1876), before her interests in Jewish identity and culture were reflected in her work.

After reading George Eliot's 1876 novel Daniel Deronda, which explores Jewish ancestory in Victorian society, Lazarus began to translate medieval Hebrew poetry from the German. News of the Russian pogroms fueled her interest. In 1881, she witnessed firsthand the tumultuous arrival of exiled refugees into the United States. The following year, she published a polemic in The Century, as well as another collection of verse, Songs of a Semite: The Dance to Death and Other Poems. Following the publication of Songs of a Semite, Lazarus wrote several prose pieces concerned with the historical and political interests of the Jewish people, and travelled to France and England, where she met and befriended literary figures, such as Robert Browning and William Morris. After returning from Europe, Lazarus was asked for an original poem to be auctioned off as a fundraiser for the building of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. Though she initially declined, Lazarus later used the opportunity to express the plight of refugee immigrants, who she cared greatly about.

Her resulting sonnet, " The New Colossus ", includes the iconic lines "Give me your tired, your poor / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," and is inscribed on a plaque on the pedestal of the monument. In 1884, Lazarus fell ill, most likely from Hodgkin's lymphoma. After her father's death the following year, she travelled again, hoping an encounter with a new country would help her regain some of her strength. She visited Italy for the first time, followed by England and France, but soon returned to the United States when her illness worsened. She died a few months later on November 17, 1887. In the years following her death, Lazarus fell into relative obscurity. A 1926 edition of her complete collected poems was kept out of the public eye by her sister, who owned the rights to the work, but whose religious and political beliefs were in opposition to the Judaic concerns raised by Lazarus in her poetry.

The Statue of Liberty Poem The Statue of Liberty Poem “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus Between 1820 and 1920, approximately 34 million persons immigrated to the United States, three-fourths of them staying permanently. For many of these newcomers, their first glimpse of America was the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor. The statue, sculpted by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, had been conceived of as a gift of friendship from the people of France marking the two nations' commitment to liberty. France provided $400,000 for the 151 ft 1 in. (46.05 m) statue, and a fundraising drive in the United States netted $270,000 for the 89-foot pedestal. The Jewish American poet Emma Lazarus saw the statue as a beacon to the world. A poem she wrote to help raise money for the pedestal, and which is carved on that pedestal, captured what the statue came to mean to the millions who migrated to the United States seeking freedom, and who have continued to come unto this day. –The U.S.

Department of State “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. “"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!"” cries she With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” What is the quote on the statue of liberty? · How Tall is the Statue of Liberty? History of the Statue of Liberty What is the quote on the statue of liberty?

There are several phrases associated with the Statue of Liberty, but the most recognizable is “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” This quote comes from Emma Lazarus’ sonnet, New Colossus, which she wrote for a fundraiser auction to raise money for the pedestal upon which the Statue of Liberty now sits. The poem did not receive much recognition and was quite forgotten after the auction. In the early 1900s and after Lazarus’ death, one of her friends began a campaign to memorialize Lazarus and her New Colossus sonnet. The effort was a success, and a plaque with the poem’s text was mounted inside the pedestal of the statute. Statue of Liberty Poem Also known as the Statue of Liberty poem, New Colossus and its famous last lines have become part of American history. Here is the sonnet in its entirety: New Colossus Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles.

From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. “Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” Statue of Liberty Inscription Since Lazarus’ poem was mounted on a plaque, it is not actually inscribed on the Statue of Liberty. The only Statue of Liberty inscription can be found on the tablet in her left hand, which says JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776), the day the United States adopted the Declaration of Independence. © 2009 How Tall Is The Statue Of Liberty - Contact

Question: Who wrote the poem called "The New Colossus" that is inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty?
Answer: Emma Lazarus