Yes, the United States is 250 years old. It should be celebrated, despite the darkness and social/political fractures we see on display on a daily basis.
One of my favorite poems has always been The New Colossus:
The New Colossus By Emma Lazarus Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. “Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Think about the images in this poem and the atmosphere they create. A brazen giant is compared to the mighty woman with a torch aflame at “our sea-washed, sunset gates.” The strength and masculinity of a Greek god is juxtaposed with a woman who holds imprisoned lightning.
This image alone makes the reader think, “who is this powerful woman who can capture lightning?” Zeus himself would be angered by that. And then to transform that into a beacon that “Glows world-wide welcome.” She is a sorceress and a woman of open heart and warmth to take all who have been thrown away as waste, signaling that their worth is not defined by others and not defined by circumstance. They are worthy of a “golden door!”
See? Fireworks indeed.
Given this 250th birthday of the United States, I’d love to see how you can use imagery in creating a hopeful poem at the very list. But why not go all out and create your own fireworks display.
For subscribers, I’m including a word list with some prompts to get you started. Happy writing:
