The New Colossus

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
"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!"

-Emma Lazarus, The New Colossus
November 1883

This sonnet follows the Petrarchan (Italian) form, with a small twist at the end. Petrarchan sonnets were broken up into two sections, the octave and the sestet. These sonnets followed strict rules, using a "a b b a, a b b a" rhyme scheme of the last word in the line for the octave, and a "c d e, c d e" scheme for the sestet. What's interesting is how the form changes in the sestet to "c d c, d c." This draws the readers attention and has them read into the sonnet more critically.
As one can guess, this is a sonnet about the Statue of Liberty. It can now be seen engraved on the pedestal on which she stands. The old Colossus refers to the Greek God Helios, who was a 100 foot statue guarding Rhodes, and was one of the seven wonders of the world. The New Colossus, our Statue of Liberty, is not guarding the shores of America, but is a beacon for those oppressed in their mother countries and a welcoming light to the world.
As the form of the Petrarchan sonnet changes in the sestet, so does the tone of the sonnet. "Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she, is like a cry of insult or 'up yours' to the world. We all know the "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..." This change of form and content go hand in hand. It is like saying, to hell with the traditional rules of "c d e, c d e" as well as to hell with the rest of the world. We, America, will follow our own rules and welcome all those who wish to start a new life. However, it still follows a "c d c, d c d" form, which can be seen as though Americans are breaking traditions, life in America will not be full of anarchy and chaos.
The use of such powerful imagery, "imprisoned lightning," "sea-washed, sunset gates," "golden door" all help move this sonnet, stir up emotions, and convey to the world that America is the place to be. It is interesting to also note, that a true sonnet follows a strict five beats of unstressed, stressed words per line. I have incredible respect for how difficult it would be to write such a poem. However, this does not until the very last line, which draws the readers attention again as to why the author did this. It is this last line that pretty much sums up the whole sonnet and message, that the Statue of Liberty welcomes the refuse of the world, lifting up her lamp beside the golden door of America, with the idea that anything is possible in this land.

Jae Khoury