Human Family by Maya Angelou Poem Analysis

“Human Family'' is a poem written by Maya Angelou. The use of simple language in the poem "Human Family'' allows the reader to easily connect with the writer's message. I make this claim because, "I've said upon the seven seas and stopped in every land, I've seen the wonders of the world not yet one common man", (Angelou, Human Family) is a great example of Maya using simple words to get out the message, that everones different in our own ways. But even with those differences we are still more alike than we are unalike.

The poem is in the first person to show the readers that she has lived these experiences and has seen different people all over the world, even though she has seen all these cultures she still sees people as more like then different. In the fourth stanza Maya says “I've sailed upon the seven seas and stopped in every land, I've seen the wonders of the world not yet one common man.”(Angelou, Human Family) This may seem to contradict the main message of the poem but it is Maya’s way of showing that there are still some differences between people.She doesn’t use big words but instead uses words that we’ve seen before to explain her message. Most people don’t understand poems so by using the language she uses it helps the reader to not get caught up on trying to understand the words but instead they can understand the point.  

As you go down in the poem you get to stanza eight where Maya says, “We seek success in Finland, are born and die in Maine. In minor ways we differ, in major we're the same.” (Angelou, Human Family) This is where the poem changes from her saying that we are unlike to saying that we are alike in many ways. This stanza is the turning point of the poem.The stanza gives a smooth transition from the beginning of the poem to her main message. In the stanzas between the fourth and the eighth one it talks about how not everyone's the same, not even mirror twins. Without this stanza the message of the poem wouldn’t connect with the reader, the message being that we are more alike than unalike. 

The last three stanzas are her main message she repeats, “We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.” (Angelou, Human Family) This is the last thing we see in the poem “Human Family”. The repetition of this line is to embed the idea in our heads that we are more alike than unalike, even though we come from different cultures. Using the words “my friends” helps us to all relate to the poem. I think this poem is a great way to show people that we are all humans even if we come from different cultures, because at the end of the day we are all a human family.