ipl-logo

The New Colossus: Poem Analysis

2194 Words9 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Prevalence of homelessness in us 2018

Engraved upon the pedestal of America’s prominent symbol of freedom and equality – The Statue of Liberty – are these lines from Emma Lazarus’ distinguished poem, “The New Colossus.” Lazarus’ words embody the sentiment of generosity and compassion that has made our Republic one of the most altruistic societies in the world. Our citizens fight for equality and tolerance regarding matters of race, sex, employment, marriage, education, religion, wages, and freedom for all. Our hearts bleed and our wallets open at the slightest provocation to help others all over the world to live a better life. In fact, in 2013 the United States led the world in humanitarian aid donations (GHA, 2014). Nevertheless, one group continually falls through the cracks …show more content…

Now, the blessed few people who do reach out to the homeless have been criminalized as well. Fort Lauderdale, Florida lawmakers put one such ordinance in place on October 22, 2014. The new law severely restricts when and where citizens may feed the homeless, making it nearly impossible for charity groups to continue (Alanez, 2014). As more cities across our nation enact laws against feeding the homeless, so too are we hearing more stories about individuals who have faced arrest, fines, and jail time for feeding the homeless. This was the case with ninety-year-old Arnold Abbott. Abbott, who founded the volunteer group “Love Thy Neighbor” in 1991 to feed the homeless of Broward County, Florida, has been arrested, fined, and jailed repeatedly under Fort Lauderdale’s new law (E. Goldberg, 2014). Laws against feeding the homeless are a violation of both the substantive human rights and the Constitutional rights of both the homeless and those who feed them, and they are dehumanizing, counterproductive, and not economically

Show More
Related

Prejudice In Denver Moore's Same Kind Of Different As Me

650 Words | 3 Pages

According to Webster’s dictionary, there are several definitions of the word “prejudice.” The prejudices we form are usually out of ignorance and fear. The book, Same Kind of Different As Me adheres to the following definition: preconceived judgment or opinion. Both Denver Moore and Ron Hall epitomized the definition of having a preconceived judgement or opinion of each other. Ron Halls’s prejudice or opinion of Denver Moore is one of a homeless person coming to the mission for another handout.

Read More

John Galbraith's Conventional Wisdom

920 Words | 4 Pages

In the 1980’s advocate for the homeless, Mitch Snyder, claimed that of the 3 million homeless Americans “ 45 homeless people die each second - which would mean a whopping 1.4 billion dead homeless every year” (86). The best argument made by the authors is that Synder most likely misspoke and “ meant to say that one homeless person died every forty-five seconds, that's still 701,000 dead homeless people every year” (86). Snyder's figure of 3 million homeless Americans was a mere fabrication. His math proved and estimate proved to be completely misdirected. The counter arguments hurt Synder by making him look like a less reliable source.

Read More

Barbara Ehrenreich's Is It Now A Crime Being Poor

1027 Words | 5 Pages

Criminal Homeless Imagine yourself without a job and receiving a final note from your bank stating that you only have a week to dislodge. In consequence, you become homeless as a bug of society and if you sleep in any bench or under a bridge, you will end up in jail. Many people have been suffering such cruel reality due to their poverty. Barbara Ehrenreich, a political activist and author in her essay “Is it Now a Crime Being Poor?” discusses the problems of the US correctional system about the treat of homeless people. She explains how they are sent to jails for minor crimes.

Read More

Analysis Of The Article 'Buddy, Can You Spare A Dime'

672 Words | 3 Pages

In the article “Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime? A federal Judge Protects panhandling as a form of free speech”, attention is brought to the question of do the poor have a right to beg for items out on the street? Some people say that it is their constitutional right while others disagree. In a novel ruling New York federal district court judge, Leonard Sand found that “panhandling is a form of free speech protected by the first amendment.” The case started when two homeless people got harassed in the subway station by police because they were begging or panhandling.

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of Ivan Illich's To Hell With Good Intentions

1044 Words | 5 Pages

Ivan Illich’s speech to the Conference on InterAmerican Student Projects entitled To Hell With Good Intentions is ironic, seeing as he criticizes humanitarian efforts in Mexico and Latin America to the people who volunteer to help these impoverished countries. His opposition to missionaries does not stem from personal views against helping others; rather, from the impact that is actually made upon these nations. Illich’s message that American missionaries are harmful despite their good intentions should be taken to heart by all American aid workers in order to reduce the negative impact of boasting American culture into impoverished Latin American nations. My initial reaction to Illich’s speech was one of disbelief—not at the subject matter itself, but at the audience to whom the subject matter was delivered. Making such a statement at a convention of American missionaries is a bold move, and was surely met with mixed reactions from those in attendance.

Read More

Anti Panhandling Research Paper

293 Words | 2 Pages

There is a large group of people in society who consider it unappealing to see homeless people out panhandling in the medians of their streets. Multiple legal battles are presented every so often for those citizens that consider the homeless people blight or scourge. On the other hand, there is also another big group of people that see anti-panhandling laws as a violation of the first amendment. As Ross Jr. states, “In one week in May, opponents filed lawsuits challenging anti-panhandling laws in Houston; Pensacola, Fla; and the Salt Lake City suburb of Sandy”(Ross Jr,). Leading citizens who attempt to throw most of these homeless people into the category of scourge are veering further away from the issue.

Read More

History Lesson Poem Analysis

792 Words | 4 Pages

Poetry Analysis Once the poem “History Lesson” was written numerous poetry foundations celebrated it for many reasons. “History Lesson” not only makes an impact on literature today it has also impacted people also. This poem inspires people and moves them to the point to where they can find a personal connection to the poem itself and to the writer. Not only does it hold emotional value for those who were victimized and those whose family were victimized by the laws of segregation, but the poem is also celebrated for its complexity. The poem uses many techniques to appeal to the reader.

Read More

The New Colossus Poem Analysis

820 Words | 4 Pages

Immigrants are what make the United States the greatest country in the world. However, in the poem The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus and Alabanza, by Martin Espada the authors express how immigrants try to come to America to find a new beginning to change their world, but the immigrants do not understand they are being mistreated and not recognized if the immigrants do not have papers. In contrast, one of these works contains power and the other resistance. Overall, both of these works have one thing in common: they both talk about immigrants and the struggle of being one.

Read More

Homeless Veterans Research Paper

1528 Words | 7 Pages

In his seminal article in the New Yorker recounting a story of a homeless alcoholic man, Gladwell (2006) observed that homelessness costs the taxpayers considerably and focus ought to be given to housing provision and supportive care. According to Gladwell (2006),

Read More

Barbara Lazear Ascher's Essay 'On Compassion'

1242 Words | 5 Pages

In her essay, “On Compassion”, Barbara Lazear Ascher analyzes the idea of compassion and the -------- of the homeless by the those more fortunate. She presents two instances in which homeless people are gifted with money or food items and ponders the motivation behind these acts. ----------------------. Targeting a broad audience, specifically people belonging to a higher socioeconomic standing, Ascher emphasizes the need for awareness of the adversity of the homeless, establishes that one must learn “compassion” for the homeless and less fortunate, and poses the question of whether the motivation for the “compassion” is relevant.

Read More

Homelessness In New York City Essay

1054 Words | 5 Pages

New York City is seen as a beautiful place to visit but the reality is there’s an ugly side to the city and it’s known as homelessness. In New York it is so common to see a homeless person in the train station or on a train and on the streets sleeping. This problem has been increasing ever since the Great Depression and we need to do something to decrease the number of this population and put a full stop to it. The majority of the New Yorkers just walk past them and instead of giving them left overs they decide to throw out the food and keep moving. Not only are these people suffering due to hunger, extremely poor hygiene and inhumane living conditions but they are also victims of assault and discrimination.

Read More

A Step Away From Them Poem Analysis

989 Words | 4 Pages

The poem A Step Away From Them by Frank O’Hara has five stanzas written in a free verse format with no distinguishable rhyme scheme or meter. The poem uses the following asymmetrical line structure “14-10-9-13-3” while using poetic devices such as enjambment, imagery, and allusion to create each stanza. A Step Away From Them occurs in one place, New York City. We know this because of the lines, “On/ to Times Square, / where the sign/blows smoke over my head” (13-14) and “the Manhattan Storage Warehouse.”

Read More

Essay On Homelessness In America

1256 Words | 6 Pages

The issue of homelessness in America has been evident since the early 1600’s. Across the country men, women and children spend their nights on the streets not knowing when or if they will ever find a permanent home. States and federal officials or city councils have tried to alleviate or at least reduce the number of homeless over the last several decades at a city, state or national level but it continues to be an ongoing problem. There is a multitude of factors that account for the growing homeless population that affects each state in the country differently. Though there are many contributing factors that contribute to the amount of people living on the street at any given night in the U.S.

Read More

Poem Analysis: The Golden Age

1210 Words | 5 Pages

As it happens, the great nations that roamed/roam the Earth are inevitably cursed into spiraling through a cycle of drastic cultural, societal, and governmental change; from good to bad, from bad to good, and so on. This, of course, can be clearly observed when taking a trip back in time, with examples including from the Dark Ages to the High Middle Ages and the Renaissance in Medieval Europe and from the Roaring Twenties to the Great Depression in the United States. In particular. the distinct time in this sequence dubbed as the “Golden Age” – described as a time in a civilization’s history where the nation greatly flourished and accomplished great tasks – of a civilization sticks out; that is, because this such honorable label is usually

Read More

The Summit Poem Analysis

967 Words | 4 Pages

The triumph of reaching the summit of a mountain, but more so, the climax of one’s success is effectively encapsulated in Kurt Fitz’s free verse poem, “The Summit”. The poem explores the challenge of climbing a mountain literally, as well as overcoming strife figuratively through the depiction of a victorious conquest, the feeling of being on top of the world. The speaker’s sense of accomplishment at the end of his challenge, although only momentary, is worth the strenuous journey to the top. The elegant, enlightening and definitive diction used throughout the poem crystallises the unbeatable taste of victory. The bold and vivid physical imagery in the first stanza conveys his euphoric emotions as well as describing the physical challenges of his journey through the wildness of nature.

Read More

More about The New Colossus: Poem Analysis

Related Topics

Open Document