1492 by Emma Lazarus (1492)
The sonnet presents a powerful and emotional appeal for freedom and democracy, emphasizing the importance of welcoming and accepting immigrants and refugees into the country. It argues that the statue's pedestal should be inscribed with the words "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!"
By Emma Lazarus · First published 1492 · Genre: Poetry, Historical, Social Commentary · 169 words
First lines
Thou two-faced year, Mother of Change and Fate, Didst weep when Spain cast forth with flaming sword, The children of the prophets of the Lord, Prince, priest, and people, spurned by zealot hate.
Hounded from sea to sea, from state to state, The West refused them, and the East abhorred.
No anchorage the known world could afford, Close-locked was every port, barred every gate.
Then smiling, thou unveil'dst, O two-faced year, A virgin world where doors of sunset part, Saying, "Ho, all who weary, enter here!
What this Textopian page supports
1492 is listed on Textopian as a poem by Emma Lazarus, dated 1492 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Emma Lazarus
- Date: 1492 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Historical, Social Commentary, Romanticism, American Literature
- Length: 169 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for 1492 by Emma Lazarus
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is a poem that employs lyrical language and structured verse.
- Historical — The poem reflects on historical events, specifically the expulsion of Jews from Spain and the promise of a new world.
- Social Commentary — The themes address issues of acceptance, immigration, and the human condition in the context of societal change.
- Romanticism — The poem expresses idealistic views and emotional depth, characteristic of the Romantic literary movement.
Tags
Historical · Poetry · Jewish Heritage · Spanish Inquisition · Religious Persecution · Expulsion · Columbian Exchange · Discovery of America · Renaissance · Medieval History · European History · Migration