What is the poem written on the base of the Statue of Liberty?

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. These iconic words from The New Colossus, the 1883 poem written by American Emma Lazarus etched in bronze and mounted on the Statue of Liberty's pedestal, have again been catapulted into a heated political debate on immigration.



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” 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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Statue of Liberty Quote “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Explore more about the history of this famous quote on the Statue of Liberty, including the entire poem it was taken from.

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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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Originally, the sculptor planned to place the chains in the Statue's left hand, which instead became the position of her tablet. Bartholdi opted to place the chains and shackles at the feet of Lady Liberty to symbolize Liberty breaking free from bondage.

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The last line of the poem reads: Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door! Emma Lazarus is invoking the new opportunities presented to immigrants that make the trek from the Old World to the United States - the golden door is a symbol for their entrance into a land of ...

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The too hearty and well-fed Lady Liberty, said Mark Twain, didn't reflect the insults and humiliations long endured by freedom.

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The Statue's shackles and feet. In 1886, The Statue of Liberty was a symbol of democratic government and Enlightenment ideals as well as a celebration of the Union's victory in the American Civil War and the abolition of slavery.

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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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Did You Know?
  • The Statue of Liberty Is 151 Feet Tall (93 meters)
  • Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi Almost Made the Statue in Egypt.
  • Gustave Eiffel Assisted in the Construction of the Monument.
  • The Statue of Liberty Is Coated in Copper.
  • The Statue of Liberty Was Once a Lighthouse.
  • It Is Closer to New Jersey than New York.


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