---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: O brother man! fold to thy heart thy…"
description: "\"O brother man! fold to thy heart thy brother; Where pity dwells, the peace of God is there; To worship rightly is to love each other, Each smile a hymn..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e3/john-greenleaf-whittier-2061_brother_o-brother-man-fold-to-thy-heart-thy-brot_995380.png"
---

#  O brother man! fold to thy heart thy brother; Where pity…

![“O brother man! fold to thy heart thy brother; Where pity dwells, the peace of God is there; To worship rightly is to love each other, Each smile a hymn, each kindly deed a prayer.” quote by John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e3/john-greenleaf-whittier-2061_brother_o-brother-man-fold-to-thy-heart-thy-brot_995380.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e3/john-greenleaf-whittier-2061_brother_o-brother-man-fold-to-thy-heart-thy-brot_995380.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e3/john-greenleaf-whittier-2061_brother_o-brother-man-fold-to-thy-heart-thy-brot_995380.png)

> “O brother man! fold to thy heart thy brother; Where pity dwells, the peace of God is there; To worship rightly is to love each other, Each smile a hymn, each kindly deed a prayer.”

[John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Compassion and sincere worship create divine peace and mutual love among people.

**In simple terms:** Compassion brings peace.

Key Takeaway

Practice kindness and worship rightly.

Themes

compassion peace faith

Mood

serene hopeful

Type

spiritual poetic

When to use this quote

- community service
- interfaith dialogue
- personal prayer

Key Concepts

theology humanism

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you blend worship with active compassion?
- What actions express love in daily life?

A Different Perspective

Blind devotion without empathy can miss true peace.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) [Brotherhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brotherhood/) [Deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deeds/) [God is there](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-is-there/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Hymns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hymns/) [Love each other](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-each-other/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [O Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/o-brother/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Peace Of God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace-of-god/) [Pity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pity/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Quaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quaker/) [Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship/)

## Related quotes

> [“Each Smile a Hymn, each Kindly Word a Prayer.' The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/each-smile-a-hymn-each-kindly-word-a-prayer-the/)

[Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/)

> [A brother's sufferings claim a brother's pity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/a-brother-s-sufferings-claim-a-brother-s-pity/)

[Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/)

> [Man, man, is thy brother, and thy father is God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alphonse-de-lamartine/man-man-is-thy-brother-and-thy-father-is-god/)

[Alphonse de Lamartine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alphonse-de-lamartine/)

> [The only person talking about love thy brother is the preacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-temptations/the-only-person-talking-about-love-thy-brother-is-the-preacher/)

[The Temptations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-temptations/)

> [And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-the-evangelist/and-why-beholdest-thou-the-mote-that-is-in-thy-brother-s-eye-but/)

[Luke the Evangelist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-the-evangelist/)

> [Fight shy of the medicine which thy mother and thy father, thy sister and thy brother let out against thee, I shall cause thee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atharva-veda/fight-shy-of-the-medicine-which-thy-mother-and-thy-father-thy-sister/)

[Atharva Veda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atharva-veda/)

> [If thy brother wrongs thee, remember not so much his wrong-doing, but more than ever that he is thy brother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/if-thy-brother-wrongs-thee-remember-not-so-much-his-wrong-doing-but/)

[Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/)

> [I cannot love thee; thou 'rt worse than thy brother. Go, say thy prayers, child, and ask God's pardon. I doubt thy mother and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/i-cannot-love-thee-thou-rt-worse-than-thy-brother-go-say-thy-prayers/)

[Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/)

> [Help thy brother's boat across, and Lo! Thine own has reached the shore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hindu-proverb/help-thy-brother-s-boat-across-and-lo-thine-own-has-reached-the-shore/)

Hindu Proverb

> [Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother. A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am-2/not-respectin-each-other-deny-thy-brother-a-war-is-goin-on-but-the/)

[Will I Am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am-2/)

> [It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/it-is-good-neither-to-eat-flesh-nor-to-drink-wine-nor-any-thing/)

[Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/)

> [“O brother, the gods were good to you. Sleep, and be glad while the world endures. Be well content as the years wear through;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-charles-swinburne/o-brother-the-gods-were-good-to-you-sleep-and-be-glad-while-the-world/)

[Algernon Charles Swinburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-charles-swinburne/)

> [“And now he is singing a bard's curse upon you, O brother abbot, and upon your father and your mother, and your grandfather and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/and-now-he-is-singing-a-bard-s-curse-upon-you-o-brother-abbot-and/)

[William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/)

> [Let us even bid our dearest friends farewell, and defy them, saying, "Who are you? Unhand me: I will be dependent no more." Ah!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/let-us-even-bid-our-dearest-friends-farewell-and-defy-them-saying-who/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [Old things need not be therefore true, O brother men, nor yet the new; Ah! still awhile the old thought retain, And yet consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-hugh-clough/old-things-need-not-be-therefore-true-o-brother-men-nor-yet-the-new/)

[Arthur Hugh Clough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-hugh-clough/)

## More by John Greenleaf Whittier

> [Here Greek and Roman find themselves alive along these crowded shelves; and Shakespeare treads again his stage, and Chaucer paints anew his age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/here-greek-and-roman-find-themselves-alive-along-these-crowded/)

[John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/)

> [the joy that you give to others is the joy that comes back to you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/the-joy-that-you-give-to-others-is-the-joy-that-comes-back-to-you/)

[John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/)

> [No lance have I, in joust or fight, To splinter in my lady's sight; But, at her feet, how blest were I For any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/no-lance-have-i-in-joust-or-fight-to-splinter-in-my-lady-s-sight-but/)

[John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/)

> [A little smile, a word of cheer, A bit of love from someone near, A little gift from one held dear, Best wishes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/a-little-smile-a-word-of-cheer-a-bit-of-love-from-someone-near-a/)

[John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/)

> [On leaf of palm, on sedge-wrought roll; on plastic clay and leather scroll, man wrote his thoughts; the ages passed, and lo! the Press…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/on-leaf-of-palm-on-sedge-wrought-roll-on-plastic-clay-and-leather/)

[John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/)

> [What does the good ship bear so well? The cocoa-nut with its stony shell, And the milky sap of its inner cell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/what-does-the-good-ship-bear-so-well-the-cocoa-nut-with-its-stony/)

[John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/)

> [Love hath never known a law beyond its own sweet will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/love-hath-never-known-a-law-beyond-its-own-sweet-will/)

[John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/)

> [Leaning on Him, make with reverent meekness His own thy will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/leaning-on-him-make-with-reverent-meekness-his-own-thy-will/)

[John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/)

> [Sweeter than any sungMy songs that found no tongue;Nobler than any factMy wish that failed of act.Others shall sing the song,Others shall right the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/sweeter-than-any-sungmy-songs-that-found-no-tongue-nobler-than-any/)

[John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/)

> [The Present, the Present is all thou hast For thy sure possessing; Like the patriarch's angel hold it fast Till it gives its blessing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/the-present-the-present-is-all-thou-hast-for-thy-sure-possessing-like/)

[John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/)

> [They who wander widest lift No more of beauties' jealous veils, Than they who from their doorways see The miracle of flowers and trees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/they-who-wander-widest-lift-no-more-of-beauties-jealous-veils-than/)

[John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/)

> [Once more the liberal year laughs out O'er richer stores than gems or gold: Once more with harvest song and shout Is nature's boldest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/once-more-the-liberal-year-laughs-out-o-er-richer-stores-than-gems-or/)

[John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/)

> [Quite the ugliest face I ever saw was that of a woman whom the world called beautiful. Through its silver veil the evil and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/quite-the-ugliest-face-i-ever-saw-was-that-of-a-woman-whom-the-world/)

[John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/)

> [With smoking axle hot with speed, with steeds of fire and steam, Wide-waked To-day leaves Yesterday behind him like a dream. Still, from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/with-smoking-axle-hot-with-speed-with-steeds-of-fire-and-steam-wide/)

[John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/)

> [If woman lost us Eden, such As she alone restore it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/if-woman-lost-us-eden-such-as-she-alone-restore-it/)

[John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/)

[Explore all 188 John Greenleaf Whittier quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/)

## More Brother quotes

> [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/)

[Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/)

> [Whatever meaning 'Annie's Song' had for me on a personal level, there was also a larger context. It could just as easily have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-denver/whatever-meaning-annie-s-song-had-for-me-on-a-personal-level-there/)

[John Denver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-denver/)

> [Luckily, the bullet that hit my chest never got to me. It was stopped by a silver case I got for my brother's wedding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-doohan/luckily-the-bullet-that-hit-my-chest-never-got-to-me-it-was-stopped/)

[James Doohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-doohan/)

> [“Yeah. You treat him like a son or a soldier, instead of like a brother. He wants you to like him and admire him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/yeah-you-treat-him-like-a-son-or-a-soldier-instead-of-like-a-brother/)

[Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/)

> [“Your relationship with your brother will be, in many ways, the most complex and bewildering of all the interpersonal connections you will form. An…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-currie-jr/your-relationship-with-your-brother-will-be-in-many-ways-the-most/)

[Ron Currie Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-currie-jr/)

> [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/)

[Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/)

> [There's no publicist, no advertisements, and no one's pushing us. If people are buying our records, it's because big brothers and sisters or friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-moody/there-s-no-publicist-no-advertisements-and-no-one-s-pushing-us-if/)

Spencer Moody

> [The only way to make sure that the Hand didn't get to you would have been to kill your brother. I could've done it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/the-only-way-to-make-sure-that-the-hand-didn-t-get-to-you-would-have/)

[Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/)

> [“Your favorite son and brother, Shade. Like”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-aveyard/your-favorite-son-and-brother-shade-like/)

[Victoria Aveyard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-aveyard/)

> [Sister + brother = a lovely family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sister-brother-a-lovely-family/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/)

[Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

> [Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/brothers-and-sisters-i-bid-you-beware-of-giving-your-heart-to-a-dog/)

[Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/)

> [Like a child exploring the attic of an old house on a rainy day, discovering a trunk full of treasure and then calling all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/like-a-child-exploring-the-attic-of-an-old-house-on-a-rainy-day/)

[Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/)

> [Stephanie could see the greed seep into the watery eyes of her father’s other brother, a horrible little man called Fergus, as he nodded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/stephanie-could-see-the-greed-seep-into-the-watery-eyes-of-her-father/)

[Derek Landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/)

> [I worked in a barbershop. I used to make the waves in the brother's hair, you know? Like, Nat King Cole, Sugar Ray Robinson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clinton/i-worked-in-a-barbershop-i-used-to-make-the-waves-in-the-brother-s/)

[George Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clinton/)

[Browse all 7,453 Brother quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "O brother man! fold to thy heart thy brother; Where pity dwells, the peace of God is there; To worship rightly is to love each other, Each smile a hymn, each kindly deed a prayer.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Greenleaf Whittier"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/o-brother-man-fold-to-thy-heart-thy-brother-where-pity-dwells-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Brother"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/o-brother-man-fold-to-thy-heart-thy-brother-where-pity-dwells-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e3/john-greenleaf-whittier-2061_brother_o-brother-man-fold-to-thy-heart-thy-brot_995380.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e3/john-greenleaf-whittier-2061_brother_o-brother-man-fold-to-thy-heart-thy-brot_995380.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e3/john-greenleaf-whittier-2061_brother_o-brother-man-fold-to-thy-heart-thy-brot_995380.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“O brother man! fold to thy heart thy brother; Where pity dwells, the peace of God is there; To worship…” — John Greenleaf Whittier",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "John Greenleaf Whittier",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "O brother man! fold to thy...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/o-brother-man-fold-to-thy-heart-thy-brother-where-pity-dwells-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/o-brother-man-fold-to-thy-heart-thy-brother-where-pity-dwells-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
