Could anyone explain to me what "The Colossus" was and why someone would say America would be a new Colossus
The Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, was a huge statue standing astride the harbor. It symbolized entry into a new land and a new life.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_of_Rhodes
Thank you
You're welcome.
"The Colossus" refers to the ancient statue of the Greek god Helios that was located at the entrance of the harbor of Rhodes in Greece between 280 BCE and 226 BCE. It was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The statue stood about 108 feet tall and depicted Helios, the god of the sun, holding a torch.
The phrase "America would be a new Colossus" is a reference to a sonnet written by the American poet Emma Lazarus called "The New Colossus." The sonnet was written in 1883 and was intended to raise money for the construction of the Statue of Liberty, which was being assembled in New York at the time.
In "The New Colossus," Lazarus specifically refers to the Statue of Liberty as the Colossus, invoking the imagery of the ancient statue of Helios. The poem, which includes the famous line "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," expresses the idea that America would be a symbol of hope and freedom, welcoming immigrants from around the world.
So when someone says America would be a new Colossus, they mean that America would be a symbol of freedom, welcoming people from different backgrounds and cultures, just like the ancient statue of Helios in Rhodes and the Statue of Liberty in New York.