Woman of the Century/Emma Lazarus

LAZARUS, Miss Emma, poet and author, born in New York, N. Y., 22nd July, 1849, and died EMMA LARAZUS. there 19th November, 1887. She was a member of a Jewish family of prominence. She was noted in childhood for her quickness and intelligence She received a liberal education under private tutors, and her attainments included Hebrew, Greek, Latin and modern languages. She read widely on religious, philosophical and scientific subjects, and was a profound thinker. Her literary bent displayed itself in poetry at an early age. In 1867 she published her volume, "Poems and Translations." and at once attracted attention by the remarkable character of her work. In 1871 she published "Admetus, and Other Poems," and the volume drew friendly notice from critics on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1874 she published her first important prose work, "Alide, an Episode of Gothe's Life." She contributed original poems and translations from Heinrich Heine's works to "Scribner's Magazine" In 1881 she published her translations, "Poems and Ballads of Heine," and in 1882 her "Songs of a Semite." She wrote for the "Century" a number of striking essays on Jewish topics, among which were "Was the Earl of Beaconsfield a Representative Jew?" and "Russian Christianity versus Modern Judaism." Her work includes critical articles on Salvini, Emerson and others. In the winter of 1S82, when many Russian Jews were flocking to New York City to escape Russian persecution, Miss Lazarus published in the "American Hebrew," a series of articles solving the question of occupation for the incomers. Her plan involved industrial and technical education, and the project was carried out along that line In 1882 she wrote her "In Exile," "The Crowing of the Red Cock" and "The Banner of the Jew." In 1887 she published her last original work, a series of prose poems of remarkable beauty. Among her many translations are poems from the mediæval Jewish authors. Judah Halevy, Ibn Gabirol and Moses Ben Ezra. Some of these translations have been incorporated in the rituals of many American Hebrew synagogues. She was a woman of marked poetic talent, and many of her verses are aflame with genius and sublime fervor.