New Colossus

Emma Lazarus wrote the sonnet "The New Colossus" in 1883 to raise money for the construction of the Statue of Liberty's pedestal. The poem was written in response to a request from fundraiser William Maxwell Evarts and was initially meant as a donation to an auction to fund the pedestal. The poem was first read at the exhibit's opening on November 2, 1883, but was later forgotten and was only rediscovered in 1901. A plaque bearing the poem was installed on the inner wall of the pedestal in 1903, where it remains to this day. The poem is a Petrarchan sonnet that contrasts the ancient Colossus of Rhodes with the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of hope and freedom for immigrants arriving in the United States.learn more on wikipedia