The central theme of the Song is the love between a man and a woman who become husband and wife. It is referred to as the Song of Songs, which implies that it is just one song and not simply a collection of songs. So even though the Song is made up of several poems, there is still a unity to this Song in that it focuses on the love relationship between these two lovers.
But does the Song simply tell the story of this love affair from when it first starts to when it finds fulfilment in marriage at the end? It seems better to see the wedding and consummation taking place in the middle of the Song (Song of Solomon 3:6 – 5:1). The rest of the Song on either side of the wedding and consummation then explores the passions, joys, and frustrations of true love in the real world, both before and after marriage.
1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.