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Born in Edinburgh, of Irish parentage, he was working as handloom weaver in Dundee when an event occurred that was to change his life. As he was later to write:
It was with this that he wrote his first poem An Address to the Rev. George Gilfillan, which showed all the hallmarks that would characterise his latter work.
McGonagall 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. 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 1879Events January January 11 Anglo-Zulu War begins January 22 Zulu troops massacre British troops at the Battle of Isandlwana. At Rorke's Drift, outnumbered British soldiers drive the attackers away after hours of fighting. February February 12 At New York C, when, during a severe galeA gale is a wind of at least 28 knots, 32 MPH, or 51 km/h; and up to 55 knots, 63 MPH, or 102km/h. It is divided into three or four categories: # A moderate gale or near gale is up to 33 kt. 38 MPH, or 61km/h, and a small craft advisory is issued. A fresh, the Tay Rail BridgeThe Tay Bridge properly named, is a railway bridge (approx. two and a quarter miles (3. 5 km) long including a brick viaduct) spanning the Firth of Tay in Scotland between the city of Dundee and the village of Wormit in Fife. Its more common name Tay Rail near Dundee collapsed as a train was passing over it.
(Modern sources give the death toll as 75.)
Equally bad is his untitled doggerel:
McGonagall 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 McGonnagall was "so giftedly bad he backed unwittingly into genius" ( Stephen Pile , The Book of Heroic Failures).
"Poet-baiting" became a popular pastime in Dundee, but McGonagall seemed oblivious to the general opinion of his poems, even when his audience were pelting him with eggs and vegetables. (However, there is a theory that he was shrewder than he is given credit for, and was playing along to his audience's perception of him, in effect making his recitals an early form of performance artPerformance art is art where the actions of an individual or a group at a particular place and in a particular time, constitute the work. It can happen anywhere, at any time, or for any length of time. Performance art can be any situation that involves fo).
McGonagall also considered himself an actor, although Mr Giles' Theatre, Dundee would only let him perform the title role in MacbethMacbeth is also a Scottish clan. William Rimmer, depicting the witches' conjuring of an apparition in Act IV, Scene I Macbeth is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, based loosely on the historical King Macbeth of Scotland. Scholars think it an archetypal Ja if he paid for the privilege in advance. Their caution proved ill-founded, as the theatre was filled with friends and fellow workers, anxious to see what they correctly predicted to be an amusing disaster.
In 1892Events January 1 Ellis Island begins accepting immigrants to the United States. January 14 Death of Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence, second in line heir to the throne of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Next in line is his younger b, following the death of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, he visited Balmoral, to ask Queen Victoria if he might be considered for the post of poet laureate. Unfortunately, he was informed the Queen was not in residence, and returned home.