Bernard of Clairvaux, a Cistercian abbot in France, preached the Second Crusade and wrote extensively on the Song of Songs, developing a mystical theology of love that shaped medieval spirituality. His sermons on the Song of Songs are masterpieces of allegorical interpretation and influenced the development of devotional poetry. Bernard's influence extended to liturgy, theology, and the reform of monasticism.

Bernard's commentaries on the Song of Songs established the tradition of bridal mysticism in Christian poetry, influencing the great mystical poets of the later Middle Ages, including Hadewijch, Mechthild of Magdeburg, and St. John of the Cross. His Latin hymns, such as 'Jesu, dulcis memoria,' became staples of medieval and Reformation devotional verse.