William McGonagall, "The World's Worst Poet"

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1. Although born in Edinburgh, where he also died, McGonagall is, culturally, most strongly associated with which other Scottish city? Glasgow Dundee Inverness Aberdeen

2. The poem for which McGonagall is perhaps best remembered nowadays includes the memorable lines: "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…. " Which event did the poem commemorate? The Charge of the Light Brigade The Eruption of Krakatoa The Battle of Isandlwana (Rorke's Drift) The Tay Rail Bridge Disaster

3. About whom did McGonagall write these lines? 'Immortal! Bard of Avon, your writings are divine, And will live in the memories of your admirers until the end of time; Your plays are read in family circles with wonder and delight, While seated around the fireside on a cold winter's night.' Sir Walter Raleigh Robert Burns William Shakespeare Christopher Marlowe

4. To commemorate the visit to Dundee of a famous Victorian explorer, McGonagall wrote an epic poem which included the following lines; 'Then savages swarmed into three canoes very close by, And every bow was drawn, while they savagely did cry; But thee heroic ________ quickly shot two of them dead, Then the savages were baffled and immediately fled. 'This incident is startling, but nevertheless true, And in midst of all dangers the Lord brought him through Then, welcome him, thrice welcome him, right cheerfully, Shouting, 'Long live the great African explorer, Henry M ________!' Who was the visitor whose name has been removed from the above stanzas? (clue: McGonagall's line endings always rhymed, however loosely!) Livingstone Belcher Burton Stanley

5. As well as being a poet, McGonagall's divine calling also led him to tread the boards as an actor. What was particularly notable about his debut as Shakespeare's "Macbeth"? McGonagall delivered his lines in Gaelic McGonagall played all the parts himself In the fight with Macduff, McGonagall refused to die McGonagall rewrote the part to make Macbeth the hero

6. In 1878, McGonagall walked 50 miles to Balmoral to press his claims on Queen Victoria to be appointed as the next poet laureate in succession to Lord Tennyson. What was the Queen's response? Nothing. He wasn't allowed in. "We will give your application due consideration" "We are not amused" "There is no vacancy for poet laureate"

7. In his memoir, which of the following reasons did McGonagall give for not liking publicans? All of these "A publican told a waiter to throw a wet towel at me" "The first man who threw peas at me was a publican" "A publican does not want people to give their money for intellectual entertainment"

8. McGonagall was a lifelong campaigner for the temperance movement. How was the poet first commemorated in his adopted home town of Dundee? By having a public house named after him By the erection of a statue in the town centre By having a bridge named after him By having a street named after him

9. In 1974, the film "The Great McGonagall" told the story of the hero of our quiz. Which comedian played the leading role? Spike Milligan Marty Feldman Peter Sellers Stanley Baxter

10. On McGonagall's death in 1902, what moniker did the "Dundee Courier" bestow upon him? The World's Worst Poet Poet Laureate of the Silvery Tay Poet and Knight of the White Elephant The Bard of Dundee