What's a sonnet?

Glenn Beck took triple meds this AM before he analyzed the meaning of Emma Lazarus' sonnet "The Great Colossus," written for the Statue of Liberty.  He did a masterful job.  Students and adults alike ought to learn how to appreciate the poetic form of a sonnet and the greatness of this woman's work.  "Imprisoned lightning" and "yearning to breathe free" are just two inspired phrases in Emma's poem.  Iambic pentameter and Shakespearean rhyme simply underscore her "mother of exiles" message, putting to rest any notion that America is a racist nation.  Immigrants who landed on a strange shore, depended upon themselves for their exercise of freedom and pursuit of happiness. 

And how far has America come as a nation of immigrants?  Many of our citizens participate in the $150 billion-a-year global video game industry watching players online, drawing advertising dollars and subscriptions.  As a child of an immigrant, I proudly admit I have no clue to the meaning or content of the industry I just described.  But, thanks to Emma, some immigrants have gone down one path and others have diverged to take a different way - the way it should be.  

It's a good time to read a great sonnet and enjoy!