The New Colossus /Emma Lazarus
https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/sculptures-of-bruno-catalano/
lyrics training New York New York / Frank Sinatra
Famous Statues around the world:
https://oddstuffmagazine.com/most-famous-statues-of-all-countries.html
2017 - 2018
http://www.mission-us.org/pages/mission-4
choose your own adventure game - U.S. history
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Step 1: Pre Reading:
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World:
The term "The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World" refers to remarkable man made constructions of
the classical world. They are listed by various authors, particularly in the 1st and 2nd centuries BC.
They are located around the eastern Mediterranean rim.
Of the original Seven Wonders, only one—the Great Pyramid of Giza, the oldest of the ancient wonders—
remains relatively intact. The others were destroyed by earthquakes or deliberately.
The Seven Wonders were:
The Colossus of Rhodes
New York state, New York City
The Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island and Ellis Island
COMING TO AMERICA / NEIL DIAMOND
Step 2: Basic Understanding
The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus
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!
In 1903, a bronze tablet that bears the text of "The New Colossus" and commemorates Emma Lazarus was presented by friends of the poet. Until the 1986 renovation, it was mounted inside the pedestal; today it resides in the Statue of Liberty Museum.
Step 3. Analysis and interpretation
The sonnet (14 lines) ”The New Colossus” was written by Emma Lazarus in 1883. It is about the Statue of Liberty and how it welcomes immigrants from all over the world.
From the title we can learn that the term “colossus” refers to the Colossus of Rhodes which is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It is a bronze statue of the sun god Helios. The title also shows that the Statue of Liberty is “new” in contrast to the ancient one in Rhode. However, our expectations of the title get chattered by reading the first line: “Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame”. The poem doesn’t deal with the Greek Colossus but with the “new” one in America. It points out that Lady Liberty is a warm and welcoming figure as opposed to the 100-foot conquering, frightening, bold Greek god statue. Helios was a god of light (sun), and Lady Liberty uses her light to guide strangers. "From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome."[ Indeed, for 16 years the statue was a fully operational lighthouse with a keeper and electric light.]
Lines 1-9 describe the people (us) looking at the statue: “a mighty woman with a torch” (l. 4). It tells us how amazing the statue is, symbolizing a new home for everyone: “glows world-wide welcome”.In the second part (ll. 9-14) the statue talks to all immigrants. She tells them: “Give me your tired […] masses” (ll. 10-11). Due to the word “she” (l. 9) we can infer that there’s a fictive persona talking (the statue). Furthermore, this part seems very emotional. The statue tries to encourage the immigrants to come to the “New World”, to America. “Send these, the homeless, […] to me” (l. 13) makes clear that she welcomes them with open arms.
Rhetorical devices: In the first two lines there’s a simile. “Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame”. This shows the difference between the old Colossus and the “new” one in the New York. Furthermore, we can find a personification because the statue talks to the immigrants in the second part. This makes it easier for immigrants to understand. They can identify with what the “persona” tells them and feel as if they have arrived at a safe place.
This sonnet can be divided into two parts: Parts 1 = lines 1-9; Part 2 = lines 9 – 14. The first part describes the Statue of Liberty from “our” eyes – how amazing she is and what feelings and hopes she holds for us. The second part personifies Lady Liberty and spells out her “words”, her “message to the immigrants”. The two parts make the whole, the topic of immigration and how friendly immigrants are welcomed to the USA by the Statue of Liberty which is a symbol for America, the first thing they see when they near the shores of New York.
Note 1: '...air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame" - This line is confusing in modern times but when written in 1883, Brooklyn was its own city. It was only later, in 1898, that it merged with New York City. Thus the line refers to Brooklyn and New York City as twin cities.
Note 2: "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" This line was inscribed on the plaque by mistake without the comma after "keep," making the interpretation a bit different. It means that the immigrants would be making their own legends in America and leaving behind the stories of their homeland.
Step 4: Bridging text and context
The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island tour:
The History
Emma Lazarus wrote the poem as part of a contest to raise money to build the base of the statue. France, which gave the United States the statue simply to celebrate America's centennial in 1876, raised money in its country for the statue, while the United States raised the funds to build the base. The poem is not on the building, as some mistakenly think, but housed inside the Statue of Liberty.
You can read more here:
http://rapgenius.com/Emma-lazarus-the-new-colossus-lyrics#lyric
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Line_by_line_meaning_of_the_new_colossus
You can take a virtual tour here:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/tour/stop1.htm
Read more here: Statue of Liberty: 50 fascinating facts
The history of Lady Liberty:
Link to Edpuzzle:
The amazing story behind the statue:
a. Write 10 facts about Emma Lazarus' biography.
b. Answer the following questions:
1. Write 5 facts about Frederic Bartholdi .
2. What made him create the statue for the American people?
3. What was the main problem the sculptor had to face?
4. Why did Emma Lazarus write this poem?
5. Where is the statue located?
6. What is written in the book Lady Liberty is holding? what is its significance?
7. What can you see at the foot of the statue? what does it symbolize?
8. What do the spikes on the crown of the statue represent?
9. What do you know about the face of Lady Liberty?
10. Describe one thing that you believe you will never forget while learning about this famous statue.