The 12th century continued the golden age of Hebrew poetry in Al-Andalus, with poets like Judah Halevi (c. 1075-1141) and Abraham ibn Ezra (c. 1089-1167) composing sophisticated verse in Hebrew using Arabic meters and forms. This period saw Hebrew poetry reach unprecedented heights of technical mastery and thematic diversity, encompassing religious, secular, philosophical, and personal themes.

Judah Halevi's religious poetry, particularly his Zionides expressing longing for Jerusalem, combined biblical allusion with Arabic poetic techniques to create emotionally powerful Hebrew verse that influenced later Jewish liturgical poetry. Ibn Ezra's secular poetry demonstrated Hebrew's capacity for wit, scientific discussion, and personal expression, expanding the language's literary range. These poets' adoption of Arabic quantitative meters showed how cross-cultural borrowing could revitalize a classical language, inspiring later Hebrew literary revivals.