# All Men Are Brothers explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by James McIntyre.

## What happens

The poem contrasts the ideal of universal brotherhood from ancient stories with the modern reality of greed and class division, where wealth is worshipped and the poor are scorned. It calls for a return to loving and treating every person as a brother.

## Themes in this chapter

### Moral Lessons and Domestic Virtue

The poem delivers a moral lesson about the failure of modern society to live up to the ideal of brotherhood, criticizing greed and class prejudice.

## Key lines

> All were brothers in days of old, But these with facts they do not chime For all mankind do love the dime, And worship the mighty dollar

In ancient times everyone was considered a brother, but that ideal doesn't match today's reality because people love money and worship wealth.

_Contrast between past ideals and present materialism._

> The rich man’s washed with whitest lime, The poor man’s cover’d o’er with slime

The rich are treated as pure and clean, while the poor are covered in disgrace.

_Critique of class-based double standards._

> But we should try to love each other And treat each man as our brother.

We ought to make an effort to love one another and treat every person like a brother.

_Call to return to the ideal of universal brotherhood._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_12_se/chapters/all-men-are-brothers
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_12_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_12_se/chapters