George Orwell – the Wheatsheaf of England

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‘The Wheatsheaf’ in Fitzrovia,

At the top of the stair

A silhouette scare-crow,

Eric Arthur Blair.

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‘Animal Farm’ in his Left hand

An English ale in his right,

A fairy story for all ages

At last, it is published tonight.

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The Wheatsheaf of England binds

Our first harvest from war.

Yet who reaps this new peace

War-time workers have sown?

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The first edition of Animal Farm

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“Awake! Young Men of England.” *

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Sharpen the sickle! Sharpen the pen!

Scythe against the grain to the left

And the right; winnow tomorrow’s

Seed-corn, from yesterday’s chaff.

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If The People have ears, we can

Feed them all. If war grows Cold,

Napoleon’s thought police will

Cause our hard-won freedom’s downfall.

Peter Butterworth

Sunday 17th August 2025

*“Awake! Young Men of England” was the title of Orwell’s first published poem, written when he was aged 11, on 2^nd October 1913.