The influential singer-songwriter Lou Reed, front man for The Velvet Underground, riffs on “The New Colossus” in his 1989 critique of wealth and poverty.

Suggested Activity: Play the clip for students. Discuss: In this clip, does Lou Reed change the meaning of the poem's message? How is it similar or different to the way that the political cartoonists interpreted the poem?

Have students write their own poem or song that is inspired by "The New Colossus." It can comment on a wide range of contemporary issues, or it can be a parody of the original message.