posy

noun

Etymology: Syncopic form of poesy (“poetry”).

1. A flower; a small bouquet; a nosegay.

   “And I will make thee beds of roses, / And a thousand fragrant posies;”

   “'Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres, the posies in the yard—peonies and such—in full bloom, the sun was shining, and the water of the bay was blue, with light green streaks where the shoal showed.”

2. A verse of poetry, especially a motto or an inscription on a ring.

   “Is this a Prologue, or the Poeſie of a Ring?”