Nelson & His World

Today, August 1, is, of course, the anniversary of the battle of the Nile.

I hope members won't think it irreverant to post William McGonagall's poem on the subject. McGonagall is, I think it is generally agreed, absolutely the worst poet in the English language. His work is actually comic in its atrociousness. And yet, the British continue to read and find entertainment in it; perhaps the most charitable explanation for McGonagall's continuing popularity is the traditional sympathy that we Brits have for the underdog - and in the pantheon of poets, McGonagall is certainly that.



http://www.mcgonagall-online.org.uk/poems/lpgnile.htm

Edited to add a wiki-biog of McGonagall - 'Poet and tragedian' as he styled himself:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_McGonagall

Well I'm sure I have never come across that poem before.

What a hoot!!

The only way I can reconcile myself to it is by imagining it read with:

- the accent

- the intonation

- and the facial expressions of
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- Private Frazer from Dad's Army!!

MB

Have our Union Jack flying here in Malta today, will raise a glass of something at 6.30pm.