Statue of Liberty as an Icon of Freedom - Essay Example

? Textual Analysis Analysis of “The New Colossus” [Institute] OUTLINE THESIS: The Statue of Libertystands as the icon of freedom and liberty in the heart of New York, America. Statue of Liberty represents the basic concept of freedom which is a part of an American society that revolves around “freedom of speech and expression” and “freedom to live a life freely”. These are the most inviting characteristics in any society that attracts immigrants in any part of the world. Every year, America welcomes an unlimited of immigrants from all over the world regardless of their color, race, religion and nationality. 1- Statue of Liberty as an icon of freedom: Statue of Liberty stands tall in the centre of New York as an icon of freedom and liberty that welcomes immigrants from all over the world to seek a better future in America. 2- An Increased Number of Immigrants Coming to America: It has been estimated that a America welcomes a huge number of immigrants from all over the world. People come to America to seek better future and to maintain a healthy and good quality of life which is impossible anywhere else in the world. Regardless of any race, gender, religion and color discrimination, the country welcomes and holds a huge number of immigrants and provides them with equal opportunities as compare to their own citizens. Table of Contents: Abstract………………………………………………………………………………. 4 Textual Analysis ……………………………………………………………………...4 Section 1…………………………………………………………………………5 Section 2 …………………………………………………………………….…5 Section 3 ……………………………………………………………………..…5 Evaluation ……………………………………………………………………………5 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………….….6 Works Cited …………………………………………………………………..…….7 Abstract: This essay represents the textual analysis of “The New Colossus”, a poem by Emma Lazarus. The sonnet is engraved on the base of the Statue of Liberty. It was primarily written to raise funds for the base of Statue of Liberty. The poem acknowledges the efforts of immigrants coming to America to attain better future and to enhance their quality of life. It has been known to many people that America is home to many different people with different nationalities who have been living in the country without facing any discrimination from years and years. American society believes in freedom; freedom of speech and expression as well as freedom of life. Unlike many countries, America welcomes immigrants from all over the world and provides them with equal opportunities, similar lifestyle and employment opportunities as the country provides to its own citizens. As a result, due to increased life benefits, people from all over the world prefer coming to America to sustain a better lifestyle and to earn a better living in a respectable society. Textual Analysis: The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus: Treatment: The New Colossus is a beautiful sonnet written by Emma Lazarus in 1883. The basic theme of the sonnet revolves around the great Statue of Liberty and the idea is focused on the concept that how this statue stands tall in welcoming the immigrants from all over the world to America. The sonnet is comprised of 14 lines which can be divided into two parts on the basis of meanings and ideas it holds. Section 1: From the title of the poem, we can tell that Colossus reference is consistent with the Statue of Liberty as other claims it to be with the ancient one in Rhodes. Colossus of Rhodes is the ancient statue in bronze which represents the god “Helios.” It is considered as one of the ancient seventh wonders of the world. The inconsistency of the Statue of Liberty with the old Colossus of Rhodes as described above can be drawn by reading the first line, “Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame.” The lines 1-9 pins the idea that how America perceives the value of this statue and how we as a nation look at it. Emma Lazarus explains this as, “a mighty woman with a torch” (1:4). The narration of the poem is not voiced as the first person in fact the poetess has used the pronoun “her” throughout. Section 2: In the second part of the poem from lines 9-14, the statue is represented as if she is talking to all the immigrants coming to America. The statue can be seen explaining the immigrants about how to behave in an American society. This is the most emotional part of the poem where the statue has encouraged the immigrants to breathe free and enjoy the bounties of a free-state. Evaluation: Throughout the poem, Emma Lazarus has maintained a deep emotional voice. The style of the sonnet is lyrical as it is a short sonnet. In the voice of Statue of liberty, Emma Lazarus has tried to motivate the immigrants to explore the New World where they can live freely and without any restrictions. In the lines, “Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me” (1:13), it is the voice of the Statue who is welcoming the immigrants with open arms. In the first part of the poem, the poetess has explored the great splendor of the Statue of Liberty as a figure who welcomes the strangers to a new home, “Glows world-wide welcome” (1:7). Emma Lazarus has also used different rhetorical devices to make the poem interesting for the general readers. In the first two lines of the poem, she has used simile; “Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame”. The use of this simile helps the reader to distinguish between the old Colossus of Rhodes and the new Colossus of Liberty that represents the concept of freedom in the New World. Personification is yet another element of the poem as the statue can be seen talking to the immigrants in a deep emotional voice in the second part. The direct speech enables the immigrants to understand the underlying meaning of the poem. Conclusion: The New Colossus is a simple poem written by Emma Lazarus, an American poetess of 19th century. This poem or sonnet was written to raise funds for the base of Statue of Liberty (where this poem is now carved). The central theme of this sonnet revolves around the subject of immigration and how these immigrants are welcomed by the Statue of Liberty in America, who stands as an icon of freedom. The language of the poem is simple in its understanding and meaning narrated in the voice of Statue itself. It is an emotional thought provoking poem that holds greater importance for all the immigrants coming to America to seek a better future. The poetess has compared and contrasted the Colossus of Rhodes with the Statue of Liberty. Colossus of Rhodes is known in the history as the sun god, Helios whereas; the Statue of Liberty stands in the middle of New York holding the torch to guide the immigrants and the strangers with the light that falls directly on the land of America. However, Charles Dickens in a passage from American Notes (Visiting New York City in 1842) describes the lives of two Irish brothers whom he met in New York living an odd life and struggling hard to maintain a respectable status in the American society. Charles Dickens opinions regarding the lives of immigrants contrast widely with the elaboration given by Emma Lazarus in The New Colossus. As Charles explains the luck the Irish brothers followed in America made life so hard on them as he explains,“And what now? Why, the poor old crone is restless in a strange land” (Dickens, p, 812). There is a mix opinion by different authors in the literature who found American either as a welcoming place or a strange land which depends on the experiences the individuals had. However, it is a land of freedom and liberty with the greatest number of immigrants living in America. Works Cited: Lazarus, Emma. The New Colossus. 1883 Dickens, Charles, American Notes. London: Oxford University Press, 1957, pp. 812. Read More