Emma Lazarus was born in New York City on 22 July 1849 and died there on 19 November 1887, only thirty-eight years later. Her name is now inseparable from “The New Colossus,” the sonnet whose plea for the world’s “tired,” “poor,” and “huddled masses” has become the verbal companion to the Statue of Liberty. Yet the familiarity of those lines has often obscured the larger achievement of the woman who wrote them. Lazar…
“I cannot resist the impulse of expressing to you my extreme disappointment at finding you have so far modified the enthusiastic estimate you held of my literary labors as to refuse me a place in the large and miscellaneous collection of poems you have just edited. I find myself treated with absolute contempt in the very quarter where I had been encouraged to build my fondest hopes.”
Neighbourhood:
American Poets, Political Poets, Social Justice Poets, Victorian Poets, Women Poets
Emotional landscape: Longing, Spirituality, Wonder
Sojourner Truth (born Isabella Baumfree, c. 1797 – November 26, 1883) is one of the most compelling and enduring figures in American history. Her journey from enslavement in rural New York to becoming a nationally recognized orator, activist, and symbol of justice is a testament to the power of resilience, faith, and the human spirit. Truth’s life story weaves together the struggles for abolition, women’s rights, and…
“I am glad to see that men are getting their rights, but I want women to get theirs, and while the water is stirring I will step into the pool.”
Neighbourhood:
African American Poets, American Poets, Social Justice Poets, Women Poets
Emotional landscape: Anger, Sorrow, Despair
