What Is the Genre of the Book of Song of Solomon?

The Song is written in Hebrew poetry. Although called “Song,” the Hebrew word refers to a poem, much more like a sonnet than a musical composition. This literary style, found throughout the OT, is rich in repeated words, linguistic patterns, and parallelism. As poetry, the Song is built on imagery and symbolism, intended to portray themes and ideas outside the scope of the literal descriptive words (e.g., “Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn ewes . . .”, 4:2). Robert Gordis notes the significance of the use of poetry: “The essence of poetry employs symbolism, not allegory, to express nuances beyond the power of exact definition. . . . The language of symbolism, on the other hand, is superior to literal speech as well, because its elements possess both existential reality and a representational character” (The Song of Songs and Lamentations, revised edition [New York: Ktav, 1974], 36–38).