English homework: analysis/essay “The New Colossus“ by Emma Lazarus

In the following text I am going to analyse the poem “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus written in 1883, which is attached to the pedestal of “ The Statue of Liberty” . Furthermore, the question of why the poem was chosen is going to be answered.
Because of its 14 verses the poem is an Italian sonnet , it is separated in two stanzas, the first one contains eight verses and the second includes six verses.
The first stanza is written in an embracing rhyme which can be considered as welcoming people. It is about the statue itself. It is compared to the “Colossus of Rhodos”, which is different from the statue, if one thinks of the “Colossus of Rhodos” one is connecting it with dominating power (ll.1) The Statue of Liberty is called “ Mother of Exiles” which shows that she is welcoming immigrants and that anyone can find his or her home in America.(ll.6) She is also welcoming everyone, not only the immigrants, the homecomers as well, that is shown by the alliteration worls-wide welcome in line 7.She is placed in the harbor of New York City, where many immigrants come to, she is also turned to the world and not to America, that shows that America is happy to welcome these immigrants.
The second stanza is written in a cross-rhyme, that shows that the topics is changing, Emma Lazarus is not writing about the statue itself anymore, she is describing the intention of the statue. She writes about what the statue would say if she could talk, to demonstrate that she used the paradox of silent lips(ll.10). The direct address are ancient lands (ll.9). The statue tries to tell these lands, Europe, that they should send their homeless people to America (ll.13), because it can be a home for everyone. In the last verse Emma Lazarus wrote: “ I lift my lamp beside the golden door”, the statue wants to help the people to find that golden door to America, she wants to show them their way, America stands for liberty, everyone is welcome, and hope for a new beginning for the homeless.

Finally getting back to the original question “Why this poem?” I have to say that I think this poem was chosen, because it points out the intention of the Statue of Liberty very well and Emma Lazarus described the statue itself very well. I think that everybody can imagine the statue just by reading that poem and this ought to be the reason why they chose “The New Colossus” back then.