Inclusivity
Emma Lazarus often uses commands to the reader, which promote a sense of inclusion. She then provides descriptions of undesirable traits through her welcoming of them into her poetic universe; this approach strengthens the presence of the reader in her poems, since they may identify with those forgotten individuals whom Lazarus describes.
Visibility
Lazarus directs her poetic gaze to the classes of people about whom poetry is seldom written. She emphasizes the importance of the downtrodden through specificity in her groupings, and she ensures this visibility by selecting attributes most people would not choose for themselves.
Soft Power
The works of Emma Lazarus show the force of soft power. Taken as a theme, soft power means that the poem intends itself to be taken seriously; as opposed to the indirect radicalism of earlier poets through imagery, Lazarus uses directness in each line to pull the reader along by the clarity of her message.
