“The New Colossus”
The poem “The New Colossus” is an ode to the Statue of Liberty in New York City. The speaker begins the poem by stating that the statue is nothing like the mythical Greek Colossus, whose main goal was destruction and conquest. Instead, they describe her as a woman who is both impressive and powerful as well as kind and protective, taking in all those who need her protection. The last lines of the poem features the direct speech of the statue in which she gives a warning to those who threaten freedom and exclaims that she will welcome all those who aren’t welcome anywhere else, especially the poor and sick.
“1492”
The poem “1492” is an ode to 1492, the year in which Christopher Columbus landed in America. The speaker exclaims that this year was “two-faced” (l. 1) giving a home to the “children of the prophets of the Lord” (l. 3) on one hand but subjecting the native population of America to their hatred on the other hand. The speaker at first describes how Spain cast out these people, characterized as extremely hateful, who then searched for a new home elsewhere only to be rejected wherever they went. They eventually find one on the innocently welcoming shores of a beautiful “virgin world” (l. 10), implied to be America, who will now have to deal with the hatred it let inside.
“Long Island Sound”
The poem “Long Island Sound” is a brief ode to the beautiful beaches of Long Island. The speaker recalls one particular summer day on which they began to realize the melodic beauty of the Long Island beach and describe the scenery in artistic detail. In the last line of the poem, the speaker reveals that it was this particular day on which they really started to feel at home there.
