What do the words in 'Ring around the Rosy' mean?

Question

I've always wondered why little kids are singing about roses, poises and ashes...

Answer 1

A popular interpretation[3] alleges that the rhyme is connected with the Great Plague of London in 1665, or perhaps earlier outbreaks of bubonic plague in England.[4] All available evidence and research suggests Ring a Ring O'Roses was not linked to the plague until the 20th century.[5] Regardless, this interpretation has entered into popular culture and is often used to reference the plague obliquely.[6]

This purported plague link seems to originate with the movement for finding origins of folk-songs, which was popular in the early 20th century.[7] For example, according to the common forms of the plague interpretation, the 'falling down' has always involved dropping to the ground as the rhyme is recited, evoking the death from the plague. This conjecture has evolved into a complex explanation suggesting possible plague interpretations for every line. For other attempts to attribute 'hidden meaning' to other such rhymes see Sing a Song of Sixpence, Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, and Cock Robin.

According to this interpretation, the first line evokes the round red rash that would break out on the skin of plague victims. The second line's "pocket full of posies" would have been a pocket in the garment of a victim filled with something fragrant, such as flowers that aimed to conceal the smell from the sores and the dying people. A second creative explanation for this line is that it referred to the purported belief that fresh-smelling flowers, nosegays, and pomanders would purify the air around them thus warding off disease. A third possibility includes the idea that "posies" are derived from an Old English word for pus, in which case the pocket would be referring to the swelling sore. "Ashes, ashes" would refer to when people alive and dead were gathered up into piles and lit on fire in a belief that burning the diseased bodies would not allow the disease to spread. Several alternate endings to the song exist, one being: "atishoo, atishoo, we all fall down," interpreted as invoking the sneezing before "we all fall down," the eventual succumbing to death.

European and 19th century versions of the rhyme suggest that this 'fall' was not a literal falling down, but a curtsy or other form of bending movement that was common in other dramatic singing games.[8] Moreover, due to the wide variety of versions sharing the same dance and the same tune, the Opies and many scholars since conclude that the tune and the dance-game form the core of 'Ring a Ring O'Roses', rather than the words which are popular today. Before 1898 there appeared to be no English-language standardisation of the words, and Lady Gomme[9] collected 12 versions of the game, only one of which is similar to the ones that are conjecturally linked to the plague.

The plague interpretation is generally considered to be a recent innovation.[10] It is first cited in 1951 by Peter and Iona Opie.[11] It thus forms an important reference for 20th and 21st century culture, but has never been authentically linked to any early version of the rhyme. In this sense, the origin of the Ring a Ring O'Roses is likely to be unrelated to the plague.

Answer 2

Most people take it to be about the Plague. Ring around the Rosy has come to mean the rings that appear of the skin of those affected. Pockets full of Poises refers to how people put poises in their pockets to help defend themselves from the disease(though it didn't work). Ashes Ashes is about how people were cremated so the disease wouldn't spread after people died. We all fall down is about the millions that died from the Plague. Kind of disturbing for children to sing about. Although the Plague may not be what Ring around the Rosy is about, its what most people believe.

Answer 3

It is a song about the plague. Ring a ring a rosie is alike to the rash those who were sick would get. A pocket full of posies is the thing people thought would keep the plague from infecting them and was also used as a cure (that didn't work). The sneezing was a symptom of the disease and "we all fall down" was symbolic of people dying.

Answer 4

As I had it explained to me by a tour guide in London, England:

The song is a reference to the bubonic plague (the Black Death), where victims got red (rosy) circular (ring) sores on them. "Pockets full of posies" refers to carrying flowers or something fragrant around, since the stench of the dead and dying was nigh unbearable. Upon death, they were cremated, thus the "ashes, ashes, we all fall down" part.

There, isn't that a sweet song for our kids to sing? You'd be surprised at how many songs have quite horrific inspirations.

Answer 5

I saw a show on the discovery channel that said it was refering to a plague that hit England. Many of the childrens tales are very scarey.

Evidently the posies were the marks on the body from the plague.

Answer 6

It comes from the time of the plague... one of the symptoms was a ring shaped rash... ashes ashes we all fall down, meaning that there was lots of dead bodies and they burned the bodies to avoid further spread of disease

Answer 7

Here is everything you need to know - and alot you don't need to know!

http://www.snopes.com/language/literary/rosie.htm

god bless

Answer 8

intresting question, but i don't know