1849 – 1887

Emma Lazarus

American poet (1849–1887)

journalisttranslatorpoetwriter

Born

1849-07-22, New York City

Died

1887-11-19

Birthplace state

New York

Biography

Emma Lazarus was an American author of poetry, prose, and translations, as well as an activist for Jewish and Georgist causes. She is remembered for writing the sonnet "The New Colossus", which was inspired by the Statue of Liberty, in 1883. Its lines appear inscribed on a bronze plaque, installed in 1903, on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. Lazarus was involved in aiding refugees to New York who had fled antisemitic pogroms in eastern Europe, and she saw a way to express her empathy for these refugees in terms of the statue. The last lines of the sonnet were set to music by Irving Berlin as the song "Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor" for the 1949 musical Miss Liberty, which was based on the sculpting of the Statue of Liberty. The latter part of the sonnet was also set by Lee Hoiby in his song "The Lady of the Harbor" written in 1985 as part of his song cycle "Three Women".

Occupation

Emma Lazarus is recorded as a journalist, a translator, a poet and a writer, born in New York (1849–1887).

Connections to New York

Emma Lazarus was born in New York City, New York in 1849. Explore other notable figures from New York, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

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Frequently asked about Emma Lazarus

Who was Emma Lazarus?

Emma Lazarus was American poet (1849–1887), born in New York (1849 – 1887).

When and where was Emma Lazarus born?

Emma Lazarus was born on 1849-07-22 in New York City.

When did Emma Lazarus die?

Emma died on 1887-11-19.

What was Emma Lazarus known for?

Emma Lazarus is recorded as a journalist, a translator, a poet and a writer.

Source

Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.

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