Fun facts about poet William McGonagall (1825-1902): his life, his work, and his legacy
1. William McGonagall is widely regarded as the worst poet in the English language. Nineteenth-century Scottish poet William McGonagall has enjoyed (if that’s the word) a posthumous reputation you won’t find many poets seeking: a reputation as the worst ever English-language poet. At one point, he had a job giving poetry readings in a circus: he received fifteen shillings a night on condition that the crowd be allowed to pelt him with eggs and stale food, like a minor criminal in the stocks. McGonagall seemed to like this arrangement, however – the money came in handy – and he was annoyed when the authorities put a stop to it.