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Interpreting “a pocket full of posies,” from child’s play to the bubonic plague
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“Ring Around the Rosie” is a classic nursery rhyme you’ve probably heard while walking past a playground. The playful, short song may bring back childhood memories of holding hands with your friends and spinning around and around in a circle. But what if this little melody wasn’t as innocent as you thought? Are the lyrics truly as sweet as they sound, or is there a dark meaning behind them? Keep reading to find out!
Things You Should Know
- “Ring Around the Rosie” may be an innocent child’s game, or it could be a lyrical allusion to the deathly plague of 1665.
- There are hundreds (if not thousands) of versions of “Ring Around the Rosie” out there, and their lyrics and interpretations may be affected by their publication dates.
- Read classic nursery rhymes with different contexts in mind to decipher the many interpretations and find allusions to historical events.
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References
- ↑ https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/great-plague/
- ↑ https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/great-plague
- ↑ https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/rxforsurvival/series/diseases/plague.html
- ↑ https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/rxforsurvival/series/diseases/plague.html
- ↑ https://www.jstor.org/stable/1499417
- ↑ https://kcls.org/content/ring-around-the-rosie/
- ↑ https://www.wordorigins.org/big-list-entries/ring-around-the-rosie
- ↑ https://www.wordorigins.org/big-list-entries/ring-around-the-rosie
- ↑ https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-457-1/dissemination/pdf/vol09/vol09_12/09_12_338_340.pdf
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