10 Unusual Facts You Didn’t Know About The Tay Bridge Disaster
2. A Poem About The Disaster Is Considered One Of The Worst In The World
Scottish poet William Topaz McGonagall is widely considered to be one of the worst poets in the history of the English language. Despite this title, McGonagall managed to pen over two-hundred poems over the course of a career which lasted twenty-five years. Poems from his collection are still in print and available to purchase to this day. He is best known for his poem ‘The Tay Bridge Disaster’ which gives an account of the bridge’s collapse. McGonagall’s questionable talent is demonstrated in the opening of the poem:
‘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.’
Audiences found his poetry so bad that they would often heckle him at readings and even resorted to throwing rotten fish at him to make no mistake of their displeasure.