Taking their name from the French poésie or poem, "posy rings" bear short, often rhyming, inscriptions and love mottos. Well-established in Tudor and Elizabethan England, they even feature in the plays of William Shakespeare and were favored gifts. The secret message was often concealed inside the hoop, its content known only to the wearer and giver. The intimate contact between the skin and inscription was thought to strengthen the sentiment.