O brother man, fold to thy heart thy brother

O brother man, fold to thy heart thy brother. John Greenleaf Whittier* (1807-1892). This is taken from Whittier’s poem, ‘Worship’, first published in The Opal: A Pure Gift for the Holy Days, edited by John Keese and John Chapman (New York, 1848). The first line of the poem is ‘The Pagan’s myths through marble lips are spoken’, and the poem is dated 1848. In fifteen 4-line stanzas, it was written during the disquiet felt by many at the American-Mexican War of 1846-48 (Rogal, 2010, pp. 57-60). The normal selection for hymnbooks consists of the last three stanzas, 13-15. In Whittier’s Poetical Works they are: O brother man! fold to thy heart thy brother;Where pity dwells, the peace of God is...