Propp, in his article Is Psalm 45 an Erotic Poem, writes about the origin, interpretations, imagery, terminology, and other aspects of Psalm 45. With a hidden meaning of poor translations behind every word, the depth of the palm is endless. However, due to the sexual themes and notations throughout the poem it can be difficult to see the psalm as anything less that an erotic poem.
The original use of Psalm 45 was for either an Israelite or Judean royal wedding, possibly for common use or for the bride directly. The king would have been marrying a forging princess, however, it is unclear as to who the bride or king would have been. The text its self, having not been translated correctly over time due to possible scribal corruption, is awkward …show more content…
In the last few lines, however, he seemingly congratulates himself for bestowing the gift or blessing of a long life upon the king and bride. The writer of the poem does use some creative wording to make worlds such as “saliva” seem more erotic but because of years of possible false or errored translations, it is difficult to wholly examine the writer for his literature abilities. A great deal of emphasis is place on the king for his strength and charm but this is not the only imagery in psalm. There is also an underlining emphasis on the power of a man. “It is the tragic heritage of the male psyche to associate sex with violence and killing, whether in warfare or the hunt” Says Propp. There is a play on imagery when the sword that is perturbing form his legs is spoken of. The sword may be a metaphor for male genital due to the fact that men having referred to their penis as perturbing from their bodies. This is not the only time that a weapon is mentioned in the psalm. In another stanza, the king is to aim and shoot into the hearts of foes. Because of the mentions the heart, it I speaking of love and not just as war like act. The king may be the focal point of the psalm but the bride is also mentioned and in even referred to as “queen” in some instances. However, the same term that translates to “queen” or “she of the palace”, also means “sexually ravish” as well. This is just another example of the sexual theme if the
The original use of Psalm 45 was for either an Israelite or Judean royal wedding, possibly for common use or for the bride directly. The king would have been marrying a forging princess, however, it is unclear as to who the bride or king would have been. The text its self, having not been translated correctly over time due to possible scribal corruption, is awkward …show more content…
In the last few lines, however, he seemingly congratulates himself for bestowing the gift or blessing of a long life upon the king and bride. The writer of the poem does use some creative wording to make worlds such as “saliva” seem more erotic but because of years of possible false or errored translations, it is difficult to wholly examine the writer for his literature abilities. A great deal of emphasis is place on the king for his strength and charm but this is not the only imagery in psalm. There is also an underlining emphasis on the power of a man. “It is the tragic heritage of the male psyche to associate sex with violence and killing, whether in warfare or the hunt” Says Propp. There is a play on imagery when the sword that is perturbing form his legs is spoken of. The sword may be a metaphor for male genital due to the fact that men having referred to their penis as perturbing from their bodies. This is not the only time that a weapon is mentioned in the psalm. In another stanza, the king is to aim and shoot into the hearts of foes. Because of the mentions the heart, it I speaking of love and not just as war like act. The king may be the focal point of the psalm but the bride is also mentioned and in even referred to as “queen” in some instances. However, the same term that translates to “queen” or “she of the palace”, also means “sexually ravish” as well. This is just another example of the sexual theme if the