The Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognisable sculptures in the world, and is symbolic of America, the American Dream and freedom. Gifted to America by the French, and designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, Lady Liberty is probably inspired by Libertas, the Roman goddess of Liberty and was originally conceived in 1865, to celebrate the upcoming centennial of US Independence. Although many tourists flock to see the famous copper statue, not everybody takes note of its cultural significance and might miss the inclusion of Emma Lazarus’ sonnet ‘The New Colossus.’ This was installed at the base of the statue in 1903.
Lazarus originally wrote the sonnet in 1883, and throughout her life helped refugees who were fleeing antisemitic pogroms in eastern Europe. Her activism is credited with inspiring her most famous work, the original manuscript of which is housed in the American Jewish Historical Society. Let’s take a closer look:
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 opening lines of the poem directly reference the Greek Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. As described, the ‘giant’ statue had ‘conquering limbs astride from land to land.’ The use of the word ‘conquering’ implies that the statue exercises an unbridled power over its surroundings, and the placing of its feet directly references the land that the statue claims. This masculine statue, and the forced violence associated with ‘conquering’ is directly contrasted with Lazarus’ ‘New Colossus’ – the Statue of Liberty.
Lazarus states that the Statue of Liberty is as ‘mighty’ as the Colossus. The statue has so much power that it is not just flame in her torch, but ‘imprisoned lightning.’ Whilst the Colossus exercises physical power of Rhodes and its people, the Statue of Liberty’s power is not directly used to control people, but instead mother nature. Whilst the Colossus seeks to conquer, or control, the people below it, the Statue of Liberty is described as a welcoming ‘Mother of Exiles.’
By personifying the Statue as a ‘Mother’ Lazarus feminises the statue by implying that is a symbol of maternal instinct. This directly contrasts with the masculine energy hinted at by the description of the Colossus. The Statue of Liberty is here to take care of the ‘Exiles’ who journey to America. ‘Exiles’ refers to the immigrants flocking to America to find a home. Due to Lazarus’ activism, she was well aware that for many America was a fresh start and a chance to escape persecution. This explains the Utopian description of the United States as ‘sea-washed’ with ‘sunset gates,’ which have been interpreted as the mouths of the Hudson and East Rivers. Lady Liberty’s influence is far reaching, and the flow of her ‘beacon-hand’ is ‘world-wide.’ The statue does not discriminate and welcomes all.
The Statue goes on to decry ancient culture and tradition, referring to them as ‘storied pomp!’ ‘Storied’ implies a famous history, and ‘pomp’ references a display of splendour. Lady Liberty declares that ‘ancient lands can ‘keep’ such traditions, implying that America is a new world that is moving away from outdated customs and into modernity. The note about her ‘silent lips’ reinforce that, although the poem describes her as speaking, the statue is just that. She speaks directly to those coming to America from foreign lands:
“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,”
This references the immigrants from around the world who flock to America to escape persecution. Lady Liberty welcomes the ‘tired’ and the ‘poor,’ and states that she can help those ‘yearning to breathe free.’ America is the antidote to oppression and persecution. By describing these people as ‘wretched refuse,’ Lady Liberty implies that these immigrants have been used and discarded by their homelands, and that America offers safe refuge.
The Statue refers to these ‘homeless’ as ‘tempest-tost.’ ‘Tempest’ refers to a violent storm, a pathetic fallacy that could reflect their personal turmoil at being displaced from their homeland. The poem ends with the Statue of Liberty further immortalising the United States of America as a transformative paradise:
“I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
By lifting her ‘lamp’ to light the way of the lost, the Statue guides travellers to the ‘golden door.’ Behind said door is presumably America, its wealth and riches implied by its gold colouring.
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