Last poetic gems selected from the works of William McGonagall, poet and tragedian;

Literature & Fiction

McGonagall, William

Poetry

Duckworth

Poetic Gems

William McGonagall was known as the Greatest Bad Verse Writer of his age, but was sustained throughout his career as by an invincible belief in his own genius. 'The Tay Bridge Disaster', 'Death of Lord and Lady Dalhousie', and 'Attempted Assassination of the Queen' all passed into recorded Victorian literature and are reproduced in this collection. McGonagall was unrecognised in his own lifetime, but how has many thousands of admirers around the world - including Billy Connelly, who has written an affectionate introduction to the anthology.

Poetic gems

Yet More Poetic Gems

Focus

History & Criticism

Bristol Classical Press

The railway bridge of the silvery Tay, and other disasters;

Humor & Entertainment

Humor

SPHERE

World's Worst Poet: Selections from "Poetic Gems"

TEMPLEGATE PUB.

The Tay Bridge Disaster and Other Poetic Gems

Orchises Pr

William Topaz McGonagall (1825-1902) was a Scottish weaver, actor and poet. He has been widely acclaimed as the worst poet in British history. The chief criticisms of his poetry are that he is deaf to poetic metaphor and unable to scan correctly. In the hands of lesser artists, this might simply generate dull, uninspiring verse. However, McGonagall's fame stems from the humourous effects these shortcomings generate. The inappropriate rhythms, weak vocabulary, and illadvised imagery combine to make his work amongst the most spontaneously amusing comic poetry in the English language. Of the 200 or so poems that he wrote, the most famous is probably The Tay Bridge Disaster, which recounts the events of the evening of 28 December 1879, when, during a severe gale, the Tay Rail Bridge near Dundee collapsed as a train was passing over it. He also campaigned vigorously against excessive drinking, appearing in pubs and bars to give edifying poems and speeches. These were very popular, the people of Dundee possibly recognising that McGonagall was "so giftedly bad he backed unwittingly into genius".

The Autobiography of Sir William Topaz McGonagall (Illustrated Edition) (Dodo Press)

Biographies & Memoirs

Memoirs

Dodo Press

<p>William McGonagall was born in Edinburgh in 1830. His father was a poor hand-loom weaver, and his work took his family to Glasgow, then to Dundee. William attended school for eighteen months before the age of seven, and received no further formal education. Later, as a mill worker, he used to read books in the evening, taking great interest in Shakespeare's plays. In 1877, McGonagall suddenly discovered himself 'to be a poet'. Since then, thousands of people the world over have enjoyed the verse of Scotland's alternative national poet. This volume brings together the three famous collections - "Poetic Gems", "More Poetic Gems" and "Last Poetic Gems", and includes all the valuable autobiographical material which appeared in the original volumes. It includes all his most famous works, as well as previously unpublished poems.</p>

William McGonagall: Collected Poems

Birlinn Ltd.

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Books by McGonagall, William