Emma's Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty

by Linda Glaser, Claire A. Nivola (Illustrator)

A celebration of our nation's melting pot, this beautifully illustrated origin story of the Statue of Liberty honors a poet who has advocated for the voiceless.

"Give me your tired, your poor
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free . . . " In 1883, Emma Lazarus, deeply moved by an influx of immigrants from eastern Europe, wrote a sonnet that gave a voice to the Statue of Liberty.  Originally a gift from France to celebrate our shared national struggles for liberty, the statue, thanks to Emma's poem, came to define us as a nation that welcomes immigrants. The text of that now famous poem, "The New Colossus," appears in this free-verse biography, illustrated in an exquisite folk art style.   The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus has been selected as a Common Core Text Exemplar (Grades 4-5, Poetry)  

Genres: Picture Books, Poetry, History, Nonfiction, Biography, Childrens, Immigration

32 pages, Paperback

First published April 5, 2010

Reviews

[Abigail]

This lovely picture-book biography of the nineteenth-century Jewish American poet Emma Lazarus, and her best-remembered work, The New Colossus, whose final lines - "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!" - are indelibly connected to the Statue of Liberty, and to the idea (well, one of them, anyway) of the immigrant in American culture, moved me to tears this morning, as I read it on my morning commute.

Opening with Lazarus' comfortable childhood and youth, as the daughter of prosperous New Yorkers, and then moving through her gradual awakening to the realities of poverty and suffering, particularly amongst immigrants (many of them Jewish, like herself), her growing involvement as an educator in the immigrant community, and as an advocate for the less fortunate in the press of the day, the book concludes with her penning of her famous sonnet, as part of an effort to raise money for a base for the Statue of Liberty, and the great fame the poem has won, even down to the present day.

Linda Glaser's deceptively calm narrative has an emotional depth to it that will immediately draw the reader into her story - into Emma Lazarus' story. The accompanying watercolor and gouache artwork by Claire A. Nivola is incredibly beautiful, with a somewhat stylized feeling that never detracts from its emotional impact. I'm struggling to express just why it is that this title so moved me... perhaps because, through Lazarus' awakening to the world around her, and her incredible commitment to doing something about the injustices of that world, the reader too feels awakened? In any case, Emma's Poem is just a lovely, lovely book, one I recommend to anyone (teacher, parent, librarian) putting together a lesson on immigration or the Statue of Liberty, and to young readers interested in those topics, or in Emma Lazarus.

[Melki]

Emma Lazarus led a life of privilege, but a visit to New York Harbor got her interested in helping those less fortunate. There she was touched by the plight of poor, bedraggled immigrants, and resolved to help them by teaching them English, and training them for jobs. To raise money for the pedestal of a huge statue that was to be constructed in the harbor, Emma wrote some verse to be included in a poetry collection. Twenty years after she wrote it, Emma's poem of welcome was engraved on a plaque, and placed inside the pedestal of that giant effigy - the Statue of Liberty.

The New Colossus
By Emma Lazarus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “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-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

This is a wonderful book, and a fine tribute to two great ladies who never met - sadly, Emma died before the statue was erected. Claire A Nivola's artwork is just perfect for the story; it lends a sort of folk art feel that works beautifully with the text.

[Kathryn]

A very fine biography of Emma Lazarus, who wrote "The New Colossus", the poem that helped the Statue of Liberty become more than just a gift of friendship and gratitude from France to the USA, but a symbol of hope and welcome to thousands of immigrants to her shores. Pleasantly told and easy enough for even young readers to follow, nevertheless this contains some fine information such as how upper-class women in Emma's time were not supposed to mingle with the lower classes--but Emma did, and she helped them learn English and train for jobs so that they could give back to their new country. Also, famous American writers like Mark Twain and Walt Whitman were invited to write something to raise money for the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty, but only Emma's poem was read at the 1883 fund-raiser celebration. The illustrations, while not quite my cup of tea, are very nice and provide good period detail. I also appreciated the facsimile of the poem, written in Emma's hand. Another nice touch is the photographs of the author's and illustrator's immigrant parents and grandparents--just one more way to show how many immigrants have come to America and how many of them (and their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren) have contributed to this country in many positive ways.

[Lisa Vegan]

I knew nothing about Emma Lazarus before reading this book. I’m ashamed to say I didn’t know (or remember) who composed the famous “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” poem. It was Emma.

I loved this book because between the book proper and the author’s note, this book covers her entire life. For many reasons she’s a woman to be emulated. I greatly admire here. Emma’s story, and the stories of the immigrants she cared about, are as inspirational as is the Statue of Liberty.

I adore this book’s illustrations. I found them completely engaging, and thoroughly enjoyed viewing the many details on every page. The pictures really shine and beautifully complement all parts of this story.

This is a fine book for learning about the history of the Statue of Liberty, a bit about immigration in the 1880s, especially of Jewish people, and I learned a fair amount about Emma Lazarus and I was delighted to do so. I hope there are many more people just like her around today!

4 ½ stars

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer]

I learned a lot from this book. I only knew Emma Lazarus as a poet. I didn't know that she was also a humanitarian who worked with immigrants to teach them how to read and to help them find jobs. After reading this, I wanted to grab a book of her poetry and read more. I also didn't know that "The New Colossus" changed the image of the Statue of Liberty from a gift from France to a welcoming symbol of hope to immigrants. One poem did all that! Emma initially wrote her poem to help raise money for the pedestal for the statue to stand on. The book stated that other poets of the time wrote poems too. I was hoping I could find a collection of those poems, but after searching on Google Books and Project Gutenberg, I concluded that they must have been published individually and not as a collection. Emma's Poem would make a great introduction to a study of the immigrant experience or of the Statue of Liberty. Highly recommended!

[Nicole Bills]

This book was nicely written and encapsulated Emma Lazarus so well and presented us with interesting information about her. Emma Lazarus was a famous writer and activist of her time. This text shows the importance of doing what you believe is right, doing what you love, and not letting people change who you are. She expressed genuine concern for those who were not as well off as she, and she intended to write about it. Emma's poem won and she was able to help raise money for the Statue of Liberty's pedestal. Emma's poem, "The New Colossus" was engraved and put inside of the monument. This biography would be a great read for grades 3-5.

I could see many conversations coming up from this book. For example, this book is an excellent example of helping others and doing the right thing. Emma did not care that people thought she shouldn't be helping immigrants; she did what she thought was right. In addition, this could bring up discussions about women's rights. It was frowned upon for Emma to even be writing her thoughts down on paper for publishing. I would be interested to see what my students thought of that. Students could also learn many valuable lessons from Emma, such as: following your dreams, doing what you love, and giving back to others. Not to mention, students would learn a bit more of the history behind the Statue of Liberty.

This was a WOW book for me because I learned something new. The only thing I knew about the Statue of Liberty was that France gifted it to the United States and that it represented freedom and democracy. However, I was not aware that Emma's poem is displayed inside of the monument. This book was engaging and I found myself rooting for Emma because she stood up for everything she believed in, even if it wasn't the popular opinion.

[Margo Tanenbaum]

Very nicely done picture book biography of Emma Lazarus, best known for writing the poem on the base of the Statue of Liberty that has become nearly as famous as the statue herself. We see Emma as a small child, with "plenty of everything," growing up in an environment of people who had "plenty of everything." We see her in her privileged setting, but then Emma visits Ward's Island and meets very poor immigrants, Jews like herself who had made the long, hard journey to America. Emma wants to help them, and begins to write about the immigrants in the newspaper and in poems to raise awareness of the poverty in which they lived. When Emma hears about the statue being constructed in France, she is asked to write something for a collection that would be sold to help pay to construct a pedestal for the great statue. Although the statue had nothing to do with immigrants, Emma imagined how it would be the first thing new arrivals would see as they entered New York Harbor, and decided to write a poem from the point of view of the statue. The author describes how Emma didn't see the statue erected, but after her death the poem was engraved on a plaque and placed inside the entrance to the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty for visitors to read. The poem became so famous that schoolchildren learned it and the poem was even set to music by Irving Berlin.

The book includes an author's note with additional historical details and of course the complete text of the poem, entitled "The New Colossus."

[Leslie Morrison]

This intimate, warm biography of Emma Lazarus shows clearly the obligation we all have to reach out and help others in any way we can. Emma uses her considerable talent for writing and speech-making to change the hearts and minds of the country, to help people better understand the challenges faced by immigrants from around the world. She cast the Statue of Liberty as a symbol for our spirit, in that we are obliged to not sit back and watch the less fortunate struggle. Instead, we must take action and not only allow immigrants to settle in the United States but to embrace them, to become their safe harbor and their home. This view was not without controversy. This topic of study can be enhanced by supplementing the book with other accounts of this time period, including a closer look at the challenges and prejudices suffered by immigrants, which often stemmed from the fear and economic hardships endured by the working class people who were here to receive them.

[Mary L.]

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of yourteeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

These are words that greet the millions of people visiting the Statue of Liberty, thanks to Emma Lazarus. This book tells the story of how Emma came to create a voice for the statue through her poem, which was completed in 1883. Her poem, along with the work of other writers, was used to raise money for the pedestal that the Statue of Liberty stands on. Emma's bold words caused the statue to become the mother of immigrants, welcoming their arrival with her torch.

This story is appropriate for all grades. It can be used in thematic units about immigration, Jewish history, the Statue of Liberty, and poetry.

[Crista Goluch]

2011 Jane Adams Award Winner

Based on a true story, this book tells of writer Emma Lazarus who is most famous for giving the Statue of Liberty her famous phrase back in 1883. Emma enjoyed working with the immigrants who came into our country through Ward’s Island. When the Statue was coming to America, Emma wrote a poem to help raise money for the pedestal. Today, that poem is just as famous as the statue itself. “Give me your tired…”

The colorful illustrations do an excellent job of depicting the 1800’s. The text is set so that it looks like poetry on every page. I love how the front cover is modern time will the back is the 1800’s.

This is a great book to use when teaching immigration, the power of one person, or even the power of words.

[Kate Hastings]

THIS WAS AN AMAZING BOOK! When the Statue of Liberty was being built, it was in no way related to immigration. Emma Lazarus, a wealthy woman in New York city, worked with immigrants in a city/culture that generally ignored and loathed immigrants that would bring the country down. To raise money for the statue's pedestal, she was asked to write a poem. And that is where, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..." came from. It will give you chills!

Use for a unit on national symbols, immigration and tolerance. Beautiful. Grades 2-7.

[Cathy]

Give me your tired, your poor
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free...
Who wrote these words? And why?

In 1883, Emma Lazarus, deeply moved by an influx of immigrants from Eastern Europe, wrote a sonnet that was to give voice to the Statue of Liberty. Originally a gift from France to celebrate our shared national struggles for liberty, the Statue, thanks to Emma's poem, slowly came to shape our hearts, defining us as a nation that welcomes and gives refuge to those who come to our shores.

This title has been selected as a Common Core Text Exemplar (Grades 4-5, Poetry)

[Kristine]

This is a book aimed at children ages 5 and up. It keeps attention by describing how the Statue of Liberty came about and what Emma's Poem is and where it is located. This may hit home to some recent student immigrants where they could share their own experiences. Jane Addams Award Book

[Mary]

A quick picture book biography about Emma Lazarus' famous poem. A great book to help discuss Judaism and immigration in a historical context.

[Kelly Chavez]

“Emma’s Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty” is a story about a young Jewish girl whom was very well off. She had a passion for writing while she grew up with plentiful resources, and soon learned that she should not take her wealth for granted. She became empathetic to Jews and
other immigrants who were not well off and put her skills in writing to good use, but even then, her
words were not heard. She heard of an opportunity to raise money for the statue of liberty’s pedestal
and wrote a poem in order to contribute. Her poem was recognized for her greatness, but even she was not ready for the reception it would get by the time she was an older woman. Now her poem is featured inside the pedestal of the statue of liberty and she is not the only person who is empathetic to immigrants who are coming to this country for better opportunity.
This story was a very detailed story that helped place me in the image of a wealthy little girl, by
using a word that even little kids could grasp “Plentiful”. The imagery continued as the story progressed and you could feel for the people that Emma was empathizing with as well as imagining the grand vision of the statue of liberty. This story also was very good in giving some history to such an important piece of America, Lady Liberty. It introduces children to where it came from, the big names of authors who helped make it happen, and what the lady symbolized then and now to immigrants. I would highly recommend this story in demonstrating the value of the statue of liberty in America to First Generation immigrants as well as helping children understand what position they were in when they got here.

[Bookbag_Betty]

Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor
Your Huddled Masses Yearning To Breathe Free...

TRAVELED TO // New York City
MET ALONG THE WAY // Emma Lazarus & Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Huddled Masses

[Charly Carbray]

In this story, readers get an inside perspective behind the poem inscribed on the statue of liberty: America's symbol of welcoming. Emma was the poet who eventually came up with the saying, but not without careful consideration first. She was moved by the masses that she saw in New York City; tons of poor families, just trying to make a way for themselves. And so she derived the poem that would be America's first words to immigrants looking for a better life.. "Give me your tired, your poor Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free . . . "

Once again, I'm a big fan of historical fiction! However, this one wasn't my favorite. Although interesting, I wasn't captivated by the illustrations. Although very creative, I think that the story of the statue of liberty has been told better before.

In my class, I would probably include this in a text set on immigration, or the statue of liberty. For my art methods class, I actually did a lesson on the statue of liberty and on Ellis Island, and think this would be a great book to read as an attention getter for the beginning of the lesson.

[Mary]

Many of us can likely recite, "Give me your tired, your poor, your hud­dled mass­es yearn­ing to be free." We know these to be the words inscribed on a plaque on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. But do you have any idea about the inspiration for those words? I certainly did not, until I read Emma’s Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Emma Lazarus, the poet behind those favorite words, grew up wealthy in New York City. A visit to the entry port of Ward's Island, however, had a profound effect on Emma, leaving her yearning to do more for these immigrants, who were mainly Jewish (as was Emma) and had been treated so poorly in their home countries that they came to America, hoping for a better life.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
As is all too common, however, these immigrants found acceptance in America hard to come by, and Emma wanted to change that. Using the power of her poetry, she wrote these welcoming words as a part of a campaign to earn money for said pedestal, but her words made a much greater impact on all Americans ever since.

[Laurie]

I read this book as part of a children's literature course. I was familiar with part of the words associated with the Statue of Liberty, "give us your huddled masses,..." but not in its entirety and I also hadn't known who wrote the words, let alone that it was a woman. I like children's books that enable the parent to learn something too as well as educating people as a whole about a part of history that most people might not know the full story behind. The illustrations were fine and while I did find the book informative, I felt the writing was a little stilted. Unfortunately, I am not enough of a good critic of writing to put my foot exactly on what it was that bothered me about it. Perhaps it came across as a little preachy. Some parts of the story had superfluous information and some areas seemed to need more rounding out or were a bit abrupt.

[Amy]

A picture book biography of Emma Lazarus who wrote the poem about the Statue of Liberty--a poem that has been viewed by millions of visitors, that has welcomed immigrants to our shore for more than a hundred years, and is still a powerful message of what our country has always meant to the world:

"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-tost to me, / I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

These words resonate so strongly, especially now, as America's new president has implemented bans on immigrants. Emma's words bear remembering...and repeating...and upholding.

[Hunter Meadows]

Emma's Poem covers the true story of the famous words that are known by many to go along with the Statue of Liberty. Linda Glaser and Claire Nivola depict a very uplifting story about the poems conception and its relevance to the immigrants, and the freedom that the statue stood for. It even features a scanned copy of what I assume is Emma Lazarus' actual hand written sonnet, within the bookend pages. There is also a lot of detail in the paintings that truly show emotion and give Emma some depth as a character. Overall, a wonderful read and it would be awesome to use for a history lesson!

[Shelli]

Emma's Poem is an important read to share with younger students; in today's political world now more than ever. A beautiful reminder of what the United States was founded on.

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breath free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

[Annie O'Hare]

This book is a poem that walks the reader through the journey of an immigrant going through Ellis Island and entering into the US. The book includes different descriptions of all the different types of people that are coming into the country. It includes how the Statue of Liberty came to be and is a tribute to this. I would highly recommend this book for how historically accurate it is and the illustrations are really detailed and lovely.

[Spencer LaPorte]

This is a very cute way to learn about the reason why we have the statute of liberty today. I actually didn't know alot of facts that were in the book and I even learned through a children's book. Its a great pace and did not overwhelm in anyway. Great visuals and history to learn at the young age. Get them interested in our history and other history at a young age, and picture books can do that.

[Joan Gagan]

This is a very simple introduction to a poet's most famous work. She wrote the famous poem inside Lady Liberty. It talks about her compassion for the poor, especially poor immigrants. At the end of the book is the poem she is known for. This would be a great read aloud for young elementary children for either poetry month or a patriotic holiday like the Fourth of July.

[Karen Arendt]

Another perspective for the Statue of Liberty. This book tells about Emma Lazarus, a writer who wrote a poem to raise money to build the pedestal for the statue. Her poem moved people enough for the poem to be engraved onto a plaque and placed on the Statue of Liberty many years after Emma's death.

[Ashley Sparks]

This is a really cool book about the song of Lady Liberty. "Give me Your Tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free. This tells the story of the author of that wonderful poem "The New Colussus" by Emma Lazarus. Personally, I enjoyed this book because I never knew the background behind th poem.

[Sarah]

I loved all the drawings of the period. The dresses, the classroom, the boats. The story is a great way to learn about America and the Statue of Liberty. Loved the last line saying "they can almost hear her speaking, Give me you tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to to breathe free..."

[BillyAnn Stempel]

This book tells the story of how the statue of liberty got the poem that is now engraved onto her. The story talks about how that poem came to be and the author of the poem, Emma.

The illustrations appear to be paint

I liked this book. Before I read it I had no idea that this is how that poem came to be. It also has some great history incorporated into the story.

[Breanna Riley]

This book is a great way of introducing the topic of immigrants to younger students, the reasons why immigrants were/are looked down on, and how to change this notion. Emma chose to speak her mind in a time where women were barely heard, and her thoughts, her feelings, and her values ended up on one of the most important American Icons.