▁individual ▁po ems ▁which ▁were ▁later ▁collected ▁together ▁and ▁given ▁the ▁title ▁linking ▁them ▁to ▁pil gr image ▁after ▁the ▁Bab yl onian ▁capt ivity . ▁ ▁They ▁were ▁well ▁su ited ▁for ▁being ▁s ung ▁by ▁their ▁po etic ▁form ▁and ▁the ▁sent iments ▁they ▁express . ▁" They ▁are ▁character ized ▁by ▁bre vity , ▁by ▁a ▁key - word , ▁by ▁e pan ap hora ▁[ i . e ., ▁repet ition ], ▁and ▁by ▁their ▁ep ig ram m atic ▁style .... ▁More ▁than ▁half ▁of ▁them ▁are ▁cheer ful , ▁and ▁all ▁of ▁them ▁hope ful ." ▁As ▁a ▁collection , ▁they ▁contain ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁repeated ▁formula ic ▁phr ases , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁an ▁emphas is ▁on ▁Z ion . ▁ ▁J uda ism ▁ ▁Historical ▁There ▁are ▁two ▁references ▁to ▁the ▁Songs ▁of ▁As c ents ▁in ▁the ▁M ish nah , ▁not ing ▁the ▁correspond ence ▁between ▁the ▁fifteen ▁songs ▁and ▁the ▁temple ' s ▁fifteen ▁steps ▁between ▁the ▁Israel ite ' s ▁court ▁and ▁the ▁women ' s ▁court . ▁R ashi ▁refers ▁to ▁a ▁Tal m ud ic ▁legend ▁that ▁King ▁David ▁composed ▁or ▁sang ▁the ▁fifteen ▁songs ▁to ▁calm ▁rising ▁waters ▁at ▁the ▁foundation ▁of ▁the ▁temple . ▁ ▁Pres ent ▁day ▁Ps alm ▁ 1 2 6 , ▁e pon ym ously ▁called ▁" Sh ir ▁H ama al ot " ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁common ▁use , ▁is ▁tradition ally ▁rec ited ▁before ▁the ▁Grace ▁After ▁Me als ▁on ▁Sh