Poets, go forth and rhyme!

William Topaz McGonagall has the reputation, many would say justly earned, of being the worst poet in the world. Vasudev Murthy, writing in the Deccan Herald of Karnataka, India, provides a nice summary of McGonagall's career. Born in 1825, McGonagall reports that at the age of 57

"I was sitting in my back room in Paton’s Lane, Dundee, lamenting to myself because I couldn’t get to the Highlands on holiday to see the beautiful scenery, when all of a sudden my body got inflamed, and instantly I was seized with a strong desire to write poetry, so strong, in fact, that in imagination I thought I heard a voice crying in my ears--'Write! Write!' "

Write he did, as well as recite, in spite of the tomatoes and eggs which were frequently flung at him during his readings. McGonagall came to specialize in poetry about disasters such as train wrecks. Here is a sample of his verse in his famous "The Tay Bridge Disaster":

Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay!
Alas! I am very sorry to say
That ninety lives have been taken away
On the last Sabbath day of 1879,
Which will be remember'd for a very long time.

For more information on the immortal McGonagall, check out:
Worst Poet in the World, by Vasudev Murthy, Deccan Herald
McGonagall OnLine -- An extensive collection of poetry and prose, as well as links to other sites.