Monday, November 19, 2018

Who was Emma Lazarus?



Emma Lazarus, 1872 / T. Johnson and W. Kurtz [Public domain], via 



On a day like today, November 19th, Emma Lazarus died. She was a great American poet from the late 1800s best known for her famous sonnet, “The New Colossus”. The poem was written for the Statue of Liberty and it was engraved on a bronze plaque on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty in New York.





Even though Emma Lazarus died young, at just 38 years old, she is a figure worth to remember. She was raised in high society New York, in a cultured family of Spanish Jewish decent. From an early age she was taught multiple languages and exposed to classic works of literature. She eventually became a writer, and by her 30s she had written over 50 poems. Her first book, Poems and Translations, was even praised by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

As much as she enjoyed and excelled in the writing arts, this was not her only passion. During her short lifetime, she left a legacy of love and compassion by being an advocate of underserved populations. As stated in the Encyclopedia Britannica (2018), the United States was dealing with a great number immigrants from Europe and Russia, and amongst these where Jews. She took it upon herself to become a spokesperson for Jewish refugees, and talked about their hardships in her writing. She would often leave her home to go visit their communities. During those trips she witnessed their poor living conditions, and did her best to help bring attention to such problems through her words. It wasn’t until after her death, that her sonnet “The New Colossus” became famous. The poem was intentionally written as an auction piece to raise money to build the pedestal on which the Statue of Liberty would stand.

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
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!"

Emma Lazarus
November 2, 1883


Library Resources

If you wish to know more about her writings, life and legacy, the Dick Smith Library has many resources to offer. Below are some suggestions of books along with their call numbers: 

1  1. Emma Lazarus, by Esther Eschor










2. The art of the sonnet / Stephen Burt, David Mikics















3.  Liberty's voice : the story of Emma Lazarus / Erica Silverman ; illustrated by Stacey Schuett
Children’s Book  










4.  Emma's poem : the voice of the Statue of Liberty / by Linda Glaser ; with paintings by Claire A. Nivola
Children’s Book











For students majoring in Education that wish to include the story of Emma Lazarus in their curriculum, I was able to find programming ideas for students and younger audiences in the American Library Association website. Below is the link:

References

Emma Lazarus. (2018). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/Emma-Lazarus/47448
Emma Lazarus, Poetry Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/emma-lazarus
Emma Lazarus, Biography.com. Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/emma-lazarus-9375885

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