Key Fact Detail Poem Title The New Colossus Author Emma Lazarus Year Written 1883 Inscribed on Plaque 1903 Location Statue of Liberty Museum, Pedestal Level Enduring Legacy The poem's most famous lines, "Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," have fundamentally shaped the American narrative. It was not until 1903, sixteen years later, that the sonnet was rediscovered and inscribed on a bronze plaque mounted inside the pedestal.
The New Colossus: Emma Lazarus's Poem, a Lasting Symbol of Refuge and Opportunity
While the statue itself, a gift from France dedicated in 1886, represents Liberty Enlightening the World, the iconic words welcoming immigrants were added later through the efforts of a dedicated poet. They provide a powerful counterpoint to the statue's physical presence, defining the United States not merely as a land of the free, but as a sanctuary for the oppressed.
Her poem transformed the monument from a symbol of classical freedom to a beacon of hope for the world's oppressed masses. From Obscurity to Prominence Following Lazarus's death in 1887, the poem faded into obscurity.
The New Colossus: Lasting Symbol of Refuge and Opportunity
Lazarus's words ensure that the "New Colossus" remains a living symbol of refuge and opportunity. The timing was significant, as immigration through Ellis Island was at its peak, and the lines Lazarus penned became the de facto inscription for the American dream.
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