The New Colossus Poem Analysis

The famous closing lines of New Colossus sum up the pilgrims' journey to America and the various chances that would await them in their new home. The first closing line reads, "'Give me your tired, your poor...'" This is the beginning of a quote that ends the poem, and it states the obvious of the conditions of the pilgrims who traveled to America. They were no doubt exhausted and did not own very much, so this was a welcoming from the Statue of Liberty to the newcomers. In Of Plymouth Plantation, the following quote provides details of the specific struggles they went through, "After they had injoyed faire winds and weather for a season they were incounttred many times with crosse winds, and mette with many feirce stormes, with which the shipe was shroudly [severely] shaken, and her upper workds made very leakie; and one of the maine bearnes in the midd ships was bowed and craked, which put them in some fear that the shipe could not be able to perform the vioge [voyage]" (Bradford 1).  '"Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."' is the line that follows. It gives the image of all of the pilgrims who had endured a tiresome journey to America and were desperate for freedom. "The wretched refuse of your teeming shore." tells of those who denied the pilgrims of their rights to life and liberty. The next line states, "Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me..." This is the Statue of Liberty inviting these strangers who had been neglected of freedom in their previous homes, to come to America and start their lives with new opportunities. The poem and quote both end with, "I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" This final line provides imagery of the Statue with her lamp by her side as she acts as the figurative gateway into the United States and also into a life of freedom. Overall, these last few lines that wrap New Colossus up give readers a glimpse into the struggles the pilgrims had faced as well as their offer of a new life in America.