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Seagull Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

Give me your tired, your poor,

Regarding the following part of a poem written by Emma Lazarus:

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-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Who are these repeated "your" referring to? The people of other countries? God? Or, should we think that they are generic pronouns representing no particular objects?
  

Top answer

"your" = belonging to some other country, any country. It can also be a plural "your," meaning all countries. Unfortunately, these beautiful words no longer apply in the modern world.

— AlpheccaStars

  • "your" = belonging to some other country, any country.
  • It can also be a plural "your," meaning all countries.
  • Unfortunately, these beautiful words no longer apply in the modern world.
  • Some politicians even repudiate and rebuke them.
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3 Answers
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"your" = belonging to some other country, any country. It can also be a plural "your," meaning all countries.

Unfortunately, these beautiful words no longer apply in the modern world.
Some politicians even repudiate and rebuke them.
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Thank you so much indeed, AlpheccaStars.
I renewed my admiration for your country when I found this impressive poem in a book today.
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The poem is inscribed on a plaque in the Statue of Liberty in New York City harbor.
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