Emma Lazarus American writer and poet Date of Birth: 22.07.1849 Country: USA

1. Emma Lazarus: An American Writer and Poet
2. Early Life and Education
3. Literary Career
4. The New Colossus
5. Later Life and Legacy

Emma Lazarus: An American Writer and Poet

Emma Lazarus, an American writer and poet, is best known as the author of the poem "The New Colossus" in 1883. This poem is engraved on a bronze plaque attached to the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.

Early Life and Education

Emma Lazarus was born on July 22, 1849, in New York City. She was the fourth of seven children born to Moses Lazarus and Esther Nathan, Sephardic Jews whose families originated from Portugal and settled in New York during the colonial period. Emma's father, Moses, was a wealthy planter. Through her mother, Emma was related to Benjamin N. Cardozo, a member of the United States Supreme Court.

From an early age, Lazarus studied American and British literature and learned to speak several languages, including German, French, and Italian. Her own literary works caught the attention of lecturer and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. Lazarus and Emerson corresponded with each other until her death.

Literary Career

Not only did Emma Lazarus write her own popular poems, but she also translated many German poems, particularly those of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Heinrich Heine. She also wrote a novel and two plays. Her close friend, Rose Hawthorne Lathrop, was so inspired by Lazarus' poem "The New Colossus" that she founded the Roman Catholic congregation, the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne.

After reading George Eliot's novel "Daniel Deronda," Emma's interest in her Jewish heritage grew. She was also influenced by the news of pogroms in Russia that followed the assassination of Tsar Alexander II in 1881. As a result of this anti-Semitic violence, thousands of impoverished Ashkenazi Jews immigrated from the Pale of Settlement to settle in New York. Devastated by these events, Lazarus wrote articles and poems on this topic, with the most famous being "Song of a Semite" in 1882. Furthermore, Emma began advocating for destitute Jewish refugees and helped establish the Hebrew Technical Institute in New York, which provided professional education for Jewish immigrants to get back on their feet.

The New Colossus

"The New Colossus" poem was placed on a bronze plaque attached to the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty in 1903. This poem was specifically written for an auction aimed at raising funds for the construction of the statue's pedestal, which was a gift from the French in 1883. Poets donated their unpublished works for sale, knowing that the highest-priced poem would be placed on the pedestal. Initially, Lazarus refused to participate, stating that she did not write on demand. However, when reminded of the refugees from Russia, she produced "The New Colossus" within two days. The poem raised $21,000 and quickly became one of the most well-known works.

Later Life and Legacy

Emma Lazarus traveled to Europe twice, first in 1883 and then from 1885 to 1887. She returned from her second trip in poor health. Two months later, on November 19, 1887, Lazarus passed away, most likely from Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Emma Lazarus is an important figure who preceded the birth of the Zionist movement. She advocated for the establishment of a Jewish state thirty years before Theodor Herzl began using the term "Zionism."