My Beloved Is White and Ruddy

The daughters of Jerusalem ask what makes this beloved so special. The woman answers with a full portrait: head like fine gold, raven-black hair, dove-like eyes, spice-bed cheeks, lily lips, gold-set hands, ivory body, marble legs, cedar-like stature, and a sweet mouth. He is “altogether lovely” and he is her friend.

This portrait balances the male descriptions of the woman in chapters 4 and 7. The woman is not merely an object of praise; she also speaks desire and evaluates male beauty in her own voice.