Assignment:
Song of Songs
Strange as it may seem, this book of love poetry contains not a single reference to God. Allegorically it has been canonized as the love between God and God's people (Jewish interpretation) and the love between Christ and the church (Christian interpretation). J. Cheryl Exum says of this book,
The Song of Songs is a priceless resource not so much for what it tells us about relations between the sexes in ancient Israel, for it tells us very little, but for what it reveals about the construction of desire in ancient Israelite culture. Without the Song, we could be tempted to conclude from the rest of the Bible that desire in Israel was constructed as male, and as dangerous, something to be repressed or controlled (cf., e.g., the laws governing sexual relations, the advice in Proverbs to young men, and the "lessons" taught by examples of such heroes as Samson and David, led astray by desire).
Because we possess the Song of Songs, we know that a romantic vision of love was available in ancient Israel, a vision that recognized both desire and sexual pleasure as mutual and that viewed positively a woman actively seeking to gratify her desire. Romance is more than sexual gratification. Romance transforms the way lovers look at the world around them; suddenly the whole world becomes more beautiful, more vibrant, more wonderful. This is what happens to the Song of Song lovers. Nature in all its glory reflects and participates in their mutual delight.
And everything is experienced more intensely, from the thrill of watching a lavishly outfitted palanquin approach from a distance (3:6-11) to the pleasure derived from the intimate contemplation of the beloved's attributes (4:1-6; 5:10-16; 6:4-7; 7:1-5), from the anguish caused by the beloved's absence (3:1-3), to the joys found in an exotic pleasure garden fit for a king (4:11-15). If we did not possess the Song, we might safely assume that people in ancient Israel fell in love, as people do, but we would not know how they felt about it, or dreamed about it, or envisioned its possibilities.
Look for these poetic strategies in Song of Songs:
The Illusion of Immediacy
Conjuring
Imperatives and Cohortatives
The Lovers as Representing all Lovers
Lovesick and Awestruck
Blurring Distinctions between Anticipation and Enjoyment of Love
Love Forever in Progress
Speaking Metaphorically about the Female and Male Body
Optional Written Assignment
How would we choose metaphors and similies for love poetry today? Try out the Song of Songs Generator by brainstorming with the lists below.
• Favorites
Flavor
Fruit
Place
Things you like to feel
Common Natural Phenomenon
Rare Natural Phenomenon
Color
Fragrance/scent
Musical Instrument
Bliss as a child
Bliss as an adult
• Metaphors Cf. Song of Songs 8:6-7
What is strong?
What is resilient?
What is forever?
What is a treasure?
"Readers bring the lovers to life when, by overhearing them, they observe their love unfold and when they answer the poem's invitation to participate in the lovers' joy." J. Cheryl Exum.
• Now write a love poem inspired by Song of Songs.