What is the poem at the bottom of the Statue of Liberty?

” Her sonnet “The New Colossus” was chosen to be inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty, the monument it celebrates, and it remains a most moving and eloquent expression of an American ideal: “Give me your tired, your poor,” the sonnet concludes, “Your huddled masses…



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Several phrases are associated with the Statue of Liberty, but the most recognizable is “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” This quote comes from Emma Lazarus' sonnet, New Colossus, which she wrote for a fundraiser auction to raise money for the pedestal upon which the Statue ...

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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-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door! The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc.

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The poem, The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus, was written in tribute to refugees and immigrants. Lazarus, a New Yorker of Portuguese Sephardic Jewish descent, was asked to write the poem to raise money for the statue's pedestal. She drew inspiration from the work she did as an aide for refugees on Ward's Island.

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The Statue of Liberty stands in Upper New York Bay, a universal symbol of freedom. Originally conceived as an emblem of the friendship between the people of France and the U.S. and a sign of their mutual desire for liberty, it was also meant to celebrate the abolition of slavery following the U.S. Civil War.

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Her appearance designed after the Roman Goddess Libertas symbolized freedom from tyranny, while her right foot, tablet, torch, and broken chains also personified the enlightenment that our country has in providing a path towards liberty and abolishing slavery.

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Her official name is Liberty Enlightening the World. The statue - also known as Lady Liberty - has many symbolic features. Her torch represents liberty.

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The Statue of Liberty (officially named Liberty Enlightening the World and sometimes referred to as Lady Liberty) is a monument symbolising the United States. The statue is placed on Liberty Island, near New York City Harbor. The statue commemorates the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence.

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In these lines, the new Colossus is telling the world to give her all of the people who are longing for freedom, regardless of how they are—tired or poor, it makes no difference.

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25 Facts to Celebrate the Statue of Liberty
  • The statue's full name is Liberty Enlightening the World.
  • It was a gift from France given to America in 1886.
  • The robed female figure represents Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom.
  • The statue measures 93 meters and weighs 204 metric tons.


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Her crown has seven points that represent rays of light and also the seven seas and continents; the original name for the statue is “Liberty Enlightening the World.” There are broken chains, or shackles, at her feet that also symbolize her freedom.

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10 Fun Facts about the Statue of Liberty
  • Her spiky hat is symbolic.
  • She is actually French.
  • The statue served as a lighthouse.
  • Her head isn't on properly!
  • Nobody is allowed in the torch.
  • Lightning doesn't strike twice, does it?
  • She escaped her chains.
  • Why is she green?


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The sestet, or six-line stanza which concludes the poem, gives the Statue of Liberty a voice, imagining its 'silent lips' addressing the arriving immigrants and welcoming them to the land of the free.

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