Monday, February 7
at 8:20 a.m.
Last Thursday, I attended a supplementary 'comic' lecture given by one of my professors, John Baird, on William McGonagall, who is, as I found out, considered the worst poet of the English language. And truth be told, I have never laughed so hard during a reading of poetry in my life.
It's actually a little difficult for me to explain why it's so bad, as I'm certainly not qualified in any way to analyse his work. But here's an excerpt from his poem "The Railway Bridge of the Silvery Tay":
Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silvery Tay!
With your numerous arches and pillars in so grand array
And your central girders, which seem to the eye
To be almost towering to the sky.
The greatest wonder of the day,
And a great beautification to the River Tay,
Most beautiful to be seen,
Near by Dundee and the Magdalen Green.
Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silvery Tay!
That has caused the Emperor of Brazil to leave
His home far away, incognito in his dress,
And view thee ere he passed along en route to Inverness.
Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silvery Tay!
The longest of the present day
That has ever crossed o'er a tidal river stream,
Most gigantic to be seen,
Near by Dundee and the Magdalen Green.
I'm sure you get the idea by now. You can visit the link above to read more, or you can check out his three published works - Poetic Gems, More Poetic Gems and Last Poetic Gems - at the library.
It's actually a little difficult for me to explain why it's so bad, as I'm certainly not qualified in any way to analyse his work. But here's an excerpt from his poem "The Railway Bridge of the Silvery Tay":
Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silvery Tay!
With your numerous arches and pillars in so grand array
And your central girders, which seem to the eye
To be almost towering to the sky.
The greatest wonder of the day,
And a great beautification to the River Tay,
Most beautiful to be seen,
Near by Dundee and the Magdalen Green.
Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silvery Tay!
That has caused the Emperor of Brazil to leave
His home far away, incognito in his dress,
And view thee ere he passed along en route to Inverness.
Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silvery Tay!
The longest of the present day
That has ever crossed o'er a tidal river stream,
Most gigantic to be seen,
Near by Dundee and the Magdalen Green.
I'm sure you get the idea by now. You can visit the link above to read more, or you can check out his three published works - Poetic Gems, More Poetic Gems and Last Poetic Gems - at the library.
