The Song of Songs was written over two millennia ago, but we can still recognize those masculine and feminine tropes we're so familiar with today. The man sweeps the woman off her feet! The woman is so beautiful she inspires metaphors! The man is strong yet sensitive! But don't forget, it's the woman who gets the most screentime in these poems—is lady Shulamite our protagonist? And if we read the poem allegorically, how does that change things?
Questions About Masculinity and Femininity
- What is considered masculine and what is considered feminine in the Song of Songs? Is the bride ever portrayed as masculine or the groom as feminine?
- How does the author use figurative language to heighten our understanding of gender roles?
- If we understand the Song of Songs as allegorical, why is God male and Israel female? Or Jesus male and his flock female?