between a man and a woman. However, many scholars attribute the poem to be an allegory demonstrating the Lord's compassion for his people, and vice versa.
             Furthering this love allegory is Milkman's journey to his grandfather's ancestral home in rural Virginia. There, Milkman learns of Solomon's identity and his flight to Africa, and thus helps to link himself to his family's history. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this town, however, is its name: Shalimar. As Imbrie demonstrates, readers might recognize "Shalimar" as a corruption of "Solomon." Moreover, the word "may derive from Sholah Mah (which sounds uncannily like 'Solomon'), meaning 'flame of the moon,' but popular culture, at least associates the word with exotic sexual pleasure" (Imbrie). This reference likely connects to Solomon's intense desire for women, as will be discussed later.
             The author makes repeated reference to "my beloved" throughout the Song of Songs; he interchanges "my beloved" with "my bride," already having established the metaphor between his bride and the Israelites. Morrison's implications as to the nature of "my beloved" in reference to her literary works are perhaps most readily apparent in her later novel, aptly entitled Beloved. According to Peggy Ochoa, allusions to this Old Testament's "poignant and erotic passage" regulate relationships between characters, and, furthermore, define relationships between groups of people, whether it be nations or races. Ochoa's article further delves into the concept of "estrangement", citing as an example Morrison's allusion within Beloved to the alienation of the Jews from Jehovah (the Jewish God) in Hosea. Extending this allusion to include Solomon and Song of Solomon, an intere
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