The Image of the Statue of Liberty in the Poem 'The New Colossus'

The one work, which I find the most intriguing, that will be discussed in this paper is a sonnet Emma Lazarus wrote when she was asked to write a poem to aid in fundraising to support the building of the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty, “The New Colossus.” I chose to write about Emma Lazarus because she seemed relatable to me. She was a young author and publisher and she became very well known because of the strength behind her words. In addition to this, I also chose her because I have learned about her in school before, but never to a depth that satisfied me. Even though Emma Lazarus began writing pieces of literature at a very young age she continued to become one of the most well known Jewish American writers and inspired many like me along the way.

How many statues is Lazarus discussing in “The New Colossus” and what can be concluded about these statues? This question is meant to make readers look deeper into the text and realize, maybe for the first time, there is more than one statue being discussed in this poem. Also, this question is meant to show students how the statues are contrasted against each other and how one of the statues is the focal statue. In this paper I will analyse how she writes about the Statue of Liberty. 

A few things can be concluded about this statue. First, the Statue of Liberty is the focal statue out of the two. You can infer this for a couple of reasons. For one, the first eight lines are comparing the two statues together, but only two of those lines are about “The brazen giant of Greek fame”. The remaining six are about the Statue of Liberty which shows this statue is the focal point. Another thing that can be concluded about these statues is the locations of the two statues. The first statue is “With conquering limbs astride from land to land”. This does not give us much information besides the fact that it is stretched across some body of water. In regards to the second statue, you can conclude from hints such as, “Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand” and “Her mild eyes command / The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame”it is located overlooking some ocean near a pair of cities.

According to “The New Colossus,” why does the Statue of Liberty provide a “World-wide welcome?” This question is meant to spark students’ discussions about the openness and welcoming arms of the Statue of Liberty and how immigrants and people from around the globe are welcome to America. Not only because of the meaning behind the actual statue but also because of how the statue looks.

The Statue of Liberty provides a “World-wide welcome” in ways that no other symbol of a country has before. First, the meaning behind the Statue of Liberty provides a “World-wide welcome.” Immigrants around the world arriving in the New York Harbor most likely heard of the openness of America and found comfort behind the statue which caused them to feel welcome. Second, the position of the Statue of Liberty also provides a “World-wide welcome” because her hands are outstretched towards the ocean. This shows just how welcoming America is and the symbol of our country has its arms outstretched proving anyone who needs refuge can find it here.

Tthe Statue of Liberty, gives a speech. What is the meaning behind this speech? This question is meant to make students unravel the meaning of the speech the statues give and make students imagine the statue giving a speech to help them better understand the reason Lazarus placed this small speech in the poem.

There are a few different meanings behind the speech the Statue of Liberty gives in lines nine through fourteen, but one is to show that the Statue of Liberty has a bad impression of elderliness when she cries out “Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp”. Another meaning behind this speech is to show the plea for immigrants to come to America. When the Statue of Liberty “Cries she / With silent lips” about immigrants coming to America it shows how badly she wants immigrants to travel to America for refuge. In the speech, the statue says, “Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free'. These lines are some of the most influential lines throughout the entire poem because they show how inviting America’s doors are or were to immigrants to try and help them from their struggles.

Why did Lazarus choose to end “The New Colossus” with the line “I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” and what is the significance behind this line? This question is meant to help readers understand the poem by inferring and producing their own opinions about a very important element of the work and using their knowledge from reading Lazarus’s biography and the entire poem in-depth to conclude her decision.

There is an enormous amount of significance behind the line, “I lift my lamp beside the golden door”. In my opinion, this is one of the most influential lines from the whole poem because it shows how valued the “Door” to America is and how the Statue of Liberty leads the way to refuge with her “Lamp.” The fact that Lazarus chose to use the words “Golden door” in place of something simpler is iconic because it proves how sought after traveling to America is and how much importance we place behind helping others. I think Lazarus chose to end “The New Colossus” with this line because it is like a mic drop. It ends the poem with something short, sweet, and significant that will make readers remember the entire poem.

Throughout Emma Lazarus’s sonnet, “The New Colossus” there are many questions, including ones like these, that may appear and will help students truly understand the meaning behind the poem if they are analyzed and answered. Not only do questions like these help readers understand the meaning behind the writing, but they also help readers understand who Emma Lazarus was as a person and why she chose to write what she did. Emma Lazarus created numerous influential works of literature and paved the way for people all around the world with her impactful words.

Works Cited

• Lazarus, Emma. “The New Colossus.” The Norton Anthology of American Literature, by Robert S. Levine, W.W. Norton & Company, 2017, pp. 429–432.