Oranges and Lemons
on 03/04/2023
at 6:43 AM
Oranges and lemons,
Say the bells of St. Clement’s.
You owe me five farthings,
Say the bells of St. Martin’s.
When will you pay me?
Say the bells of Old Bailey.
When I grow rich,
Say the bells of Shoreditch.
When will that be?
Say the bells of Stepney.
I do not know,
Say the great bell of Bow.
Here comes a candle to light you to bed,
And here comes a chopper to chop off your head!
I just came across that poem for the first time in George Orwell’s 1984 yesterday…
I learned about it doing research for this comic, and I recently read it in 1984. A very chilling poem.