Analysis
The analysis of the poem “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus shows that the outer composition is simple, with the poem taking the form of a sonnet. The inner composition presents a speaker who contrasts the Colossus of Rhodes with the New Colossus in America.
The poem has an unnamed speaker who describes the New Colossus and the way it is different from the Colossus of Rhodes. In the second part of the poem, the New Colossus receives a voice through personification and becomes a speaker.
The setting of the poem is the United States of America, where the New Colossus is. The poem focuses on the differences between the New Colossus and the Colossus of Rhodes, and implicitly on the differences between the United States of America and Greece. In the last part of the poem, the New Colossus talks about the European countries where immigrants come from.
The language reflects the style of the time when the poem was written. Mostly metaphorical, the language highlights America’s promise of freedom for immigrants who arrive in search of a better life. The poet introduces several poetic devices, including allusion, alliteration, metaphors, and personification, all of which highlight America’s promise of freedom.
You can read a more detailed analysis on the following pages.
