What Is the Meaning of the Poem on Statue of Liberty?

Jewish American poet, Emma Lazarus, wrote the poem on the Statue of Liberty, entitled "The New Colossus," in 1883. Written in an effort to raise funds for the Statue of Liberty's pedestal, the poem welcomes immigrants from across the world to the United States.

Message

The poem describes a woman, "Mother of Exiles," petitioning other lands to give her (meaning the United States) their unwanted, their "tired," their "homeless, tempest-tossed" people. By enthusiastically welcoming other nations' outcasts and wanderers, the poem gives the Statue of Liberty special symbolism for new immigrants.

Colossus

"Colossus" alludes to the Colossus of Rhodes, a massive statue built in antiquity to thank Helios, the sun god, for protecting Rhodes from invaders. By calling her poem "The New Colossus," Emma Lazarus points out that the American statue is one welcoming foreigners rather than fighting them off.

Form

As a fourteen-line poem with an "abbaabbacdcdcd" rhyme scheme and an iambic pentameter meter, "The New Colossus" is written in the form of a Petrarchan sonnet. The form adds meaning through its dramatic rhythms and song-like quality, making it almost like an anthem.

History

Emma Lazarus's poem on the Statue of Liberty was not popularly appreciated until 1903, when a patron of the arts, Georgina Schuyler, was moved by its meaning and placed its final five lines on a plaque inside the statue. By 1945, the poem was relocated in its entirety to a new plaque inside the Statue's main entrance.

Fun Fact

Emma Lazarus's biography as a Jewish American adds meaning to her poem. Lazarus was descended from immigrants with roots in both Spain and Eastern Europe, and she felt a deep connection to the plight of immigrants in her day.

References

• Emma Lazarus, "The New Colossus" (1883)
• Emma Lazarus & Statue of Liberty
• "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus