McGonagall, William (1825?-1902), a Scottish poet, became famous for his appalling poetry. McGonagall has been called the world's worst poet. His verse was especially ridiculed for its awkward rhymes. Although he was continually mocked during his lifetime for his verse, McGonagall never lost faith in himself as a writer. McGonagall's poems dealt with subjects of national interest, especially shipwrecks and battles. His best-known poem, "The Tay Bridge Disaster," commemorated the destruction in 1879 of the railroad bridge over the Tay River.