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Home  »  The World’s Best Poetry  »  “Love scorns degrees”

Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry. 1904.

II. Love’s Nature

“Love scorns degrees”

Paul Hamilton Hayne (1830–1886)

From “The Mountain of the Lovers”

LOVE scorns degrees; the low he lifteth high,

The high he draweth down to that fair plain

Whereon, in his divine equality,

Two loving hearts may meet, nor meet in vain;

’Gainst such sweet levelling Custom cries amain,

But o’er its harshest utterance one bland sigh,

Breathed passion-wise, doth mount victorious still,

For Love, earth’s lord, must have his lordly will.