Context: The Statue's Original Vision Initially, the statue's significance was defined by its neoclassical design and its dedication as a gesture of Franco-American friendship. The question of who wrote the poem on the Statue of Liberty points to "The New Colossus," a sonnet etched into a bronze plaque mounted inside the statue's pedestal.
Statue Of Liberty Poem Fundraising Auction And The Story Behind The Sonnet
Emma Lazarus, moved by the project and influenced by the struggles of Jewish refugees fleeing pogroms in Eastern Europe, submitted a poem. 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 French poet Édouard de Laboulaye had envisioned the statue as a celebration of the Union's victory in the Civil War and the end of slavery.
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Though she wrote prolifically on themes of Jewish identity and history, Lazarus crafted "The New Colossus" in 1883 for an auction to raise funds for the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. However, the American committee tasked with raising funds for the pedestal struggled to generate public interest, and the literary and symbolic connection to immigration was not yet established.
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