Was he really able to sustain the same comic character non-stop, both off and on stage, for a period of twenty-five years, or was he just being himself? We shall never know for sure, but the latter seems more likely.

*

 

Perhaps the most amazing thing about McGonagall is his failure to lapse back into obscurity. The man was remembered fondly for many years after his death by those that had come into contact with him, and his lopsided verse was passed down to subsequent generations. A new edition of Poetic Gems was compiled and printed in the 1930s and it has never gone out of print since.

By the 1960s, his fame had spread south of the border, carried by fans like the actor John Laurie, who would entertain his friends with recitals. The increased interest led to the publication of two further collections of “gems”, More Poetic Gems in 1962 and Last Poetic Gems in 1968.

McGonagall inspired characters in The Goons, Monty Python’s Flying Circus and The Muppet Show. Spike Milligan made a film about him in 1974 and there have been a number of stage shows based upon his life as well. The “Gonnagles”, who appear in several of Terry Pratchett’s books, are very much based on the writer, while J. K. Rowling named Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter books after him. In addition, there are now several websites dedicated to his life and work, including McGonagall Online (www.mcgonagall-online.org.uk). Not bad for the worst poet in the English language.

McGonagall was a man ahead of his time. One is forced to admire his self-confidence and belief in his own abilities, a conviction which he was able to sustain, despite all evidence to the contrary, throughout his quixotic pursuit of literary status. He would be in his element in today’s age of reality television, where a lack of discernable talent is no impediment to becoming a media celebrity overnight. Perhaps he was just born 150 years too early.

Chris Hunt

October 2006

POETIC GEMS

 

SELECTED FROM THE WORKS OF

 

William McGonagall

Poet and Tragedian

Died in Edinburgh 29th September, 1902

WITH

 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH AND REMINISCENCES BY THE AUTHOR

 

AND PORTRAIT BY D. B. GRAY

 

CONTENTS

 

Brief Autobiography

Reminiscences

Tribute to Mr McGonagall from Three Students at Glasgow University

Ode to William McGonagall

Tribute from Zululand

Testimonials

An Ode to the Queen on Her Jubilee Year

The Death of Prince Leopold

The Death of Lord and Lady Dalhousie

The Funeral of the German Emperor

The Battle of Tel-el-Kebir

The Famous Tay Whale

The Railway Bridge of the Silvery Tay

The Newport Railway

The Tay Bridge Disaster

An Address to the New Tay Bridge

The Late Sir John Ogilvy

The Rattling Boy from Dublin

The Burial of the Rev. George Gilfillan

The Battle of El-Teb

The Battle of Abu Klea

A Christmas Carol

The Christmas Goose

An Autumn Reverie

The Wreck of the Steamer “London” while on her way to Australia

The Wreck of the “Thomas Dryden” in Pentland Firth

Attempted Assassination of the Queen

Saving a Train

The Moon

The Beautiful Sun

Grace Darling; or, the Wreck of the “Forfarshire”

To Mr James Scrymgeour, Dundee

The Battle of Bannockburn

Edinburgh

Glasgow

Oban

The Battle of Flodden Field

Greenland’s Icy Mountains

A Tribute to Henry M. Stanley

Jottings of New York

Beautiful Monikie

A Tribute to Mr Murphy and the Blue Ribbon Army

Loch Katrine

Forget-Me-Not

The Royal Review

The Nithsdale Widow and Her Son

Jack o’ the Cudgel: Part I

Part II

The Battle of Culloden

The Battle of Sheriffmuir

The Execution of James Graham, Marquis of Montrose

Baldovan

Loch Leven

Montrose

The Castle of Mains

Broughty Ferry

Robert Burns

Adventures of King Robert the Bruce

A Tale of the Sea

Descriptive Jottings of London

Annie Marshall the Foundling

Bill Bowls the Sailor

Young Munro the Sailor

The Death of the Old Mendicant

An Adventure in the Life of King James V of Scotland

The Clepington Catastrophe

The Rebel Surprise Near Tamai

Burning of the Exeter Theatre

John Rouat the Fisherman

The Sorrows of the Blind

General Gordon, the Hero of Khartoum

The Battle of Cressy

The Wreck of the Barque “Wm. Paterson” of Liverpool

Hanchen, the Maid of the Mill

Wreck of the Schooner “Samuel Crawford”

The First Grenadier of France

The Tragic Death of the Rev. A. H. Mackonochie

The Burning of the Steamer “City of Montreal”

The Wreck of the Whaler “Oscar”

Jenny Carrister, the Heroine of Lucknow-Mine

The Horrors of Majuba

The Miraculous Escape of Robert Allan, the Fireman

The Battle of Shina, in Africa, Fought in 1800

The Collision in the English Channel

The Pennsylvania Disaster

The Sprig of Moss

BRIEF AUTOBIOGRAPHY

 

DEAR READER, – My parents were both born in Ireland, where they spent the great part of their lives after their marriage. They left Ireland for Scotland, and never returned to the Green Isle. I was born in the year of 1830 in the city of Edinburgh, the garden of bonnie Scotland, which is justly famed by all for its magnificent scenery. My parents were poor, but honest, sober, and God-fearing. My father was a hand-loom weaver, and wrought at cotton fabrics during his stay in Edinburgh, which was for about two years. Owing to the great depression in the cotton trade in Edinburgh, he removed to Paisley with his family, where work was abundant for a period of about three years; but then a crash taking place, he was forced to remove to Glasgow with his family with the hope of securing work there, and enable him to support his young and increasing family, as they were all young at that time, your humble servant included. In Glasgow he was fortunate in getting work as a cotton weaver; and as trade was in a prosperous state for about two years, I was sent to school, where I remained about eighteen months, but at the expiry of which, trade again becoming dull, my poor parents were compelled to take me from school, being unable to pay for schooling through adverse circumstances; so that all the education I received was before I was seven years of age.

My father, being forced to leave Glasgow through want of work, came to Dundee, where plenty of work was to be had at the time – such as sacking, cloth, and other fabrics. It was at this time that your humble servant was sent to work in a mill in the Scouringburn, which was owned by Mr Peter Davie, and there I remained for about four years, after which I was taken from the mill, and put to learn the hand-loom in Ex-Provost Reid’s factory, which was also situated in the Scouringburn. After I had learned to be an expert hand-loom weaver, I began to take a great delight in reading books, as well as to improve my handwriting, in my leisure hours at night, until I made myself what I am.

The books that I liked best to read were Shakespeare’s penny plays, more especially Macbeth, Richard III, Hamlet, and Othello; and I gave myself no rest until I obtained complete mastery over the above four characters. Many a time in my dear father’s absence I enacted entire scenes from Macbeth and Richard III, along with some of my shopmates, until they were quite delighted; and many a time they regaled me and the other actors that had entertained them to strong ale, biscuits, and cheese.

My first appearance on any stage was in Mr Giles’ theatre, which was in Lindsay Street quarry, some years ago: I cannot give the exact date, but it is a very long time ago.