1:16–2:2 · The maiden’s initial response may have given Solomon false hope, as she repeats his very words. However, she quickly lets it be known that her words are intended for another and that she does not belong in the presence of the king (1:16–2:1). The scene of her lovemaking is pastoral, in grassy fields and under spreading trees—not the palace precincts. In her modesty she compares herself to the more common wildflowers of the countryside, flowers of Sharon not far from her home in Shulam.The king’s final simile, a weak attempt to play on the maiden’s words, falls on deaf ears (2:2). He continues to exalt her beauty above the “thorns” of his harem, oblivious to the fact that the banter has another dimension. This other dimension is intimated by the satirical repetition of “my” in t…