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posies

Noun
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Small bunches of flowers or herbs, often carried or worn as a decoration.

Detailed Definition
In older literary English, a posy can mean a small bouquet or nosegay. Here it refers to the fragile things the speaker imagines the madman handling behind the bars.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Surely he hath his posies, which they tear and twine” uses posies for small flowers or flower clusters; Posy can also mean a brief sentimental verse or inscription, especially on a ring; Ophelia’s flower distribution in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” shows flowers carrying symbolic meanings such as remembrance and sorrow; “She braided roadside posies into a crown for the hospital window” joins fragile beauty with care
Additional Notes
In the line quoted, "posies" is an older, less common word for a small bouquet, so many readers may need to look it up.; Found in the poem, To One in Bedlam by Ernest Dowson
Also Known As
flowers blooms blossoms
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