For Ernesto Cardenal, there is no greater mystery than love. As a young student, he writes his poems driven by his longing for the beloved girl who eludes him. As a novice in the monastery, his yearning turns towards the encounter with God, and the verses that touch most deeply are those where the Eros is indistinguishable from male desire. The "Songs of the Universe" by the mature poet ultimately place love as the shaping principle at the center of all creation. For Cardenal, love—whether for people or for God—is inseparable from sensuality; for this reason, he has never invoked a transcendent paradise. Dorothee Sölle wrote to her friend Ernesto: "You have kept them together: religion, politics, and love. Your love songs are political, your psalms are erotic. Your affirmation, your celebration of life is all-encompassing.".