Temperance Gems
William Topaz Mcgonagall
Read by LibriVox Volunteers
Good people all, of every degree,
I pray, ye all be warned by me:
I advise ye all to pause and think,
And never more to taste strong drink.
Some people do say it is good when taken in moderation,
But, when taken to excess, it leads to tribulation,
Also to starvation and loss of reputation,
Likewise your eternal soul's damnation.
McGonagall has been widely acclaimed as the worst poet in British history. He campaigned vigorously against excessive drinking, appearing in pubs and bars to give edifying poems and speeches. These were very popular, the people of Dundee possibly recognising that McGonagall was “so giftedly bad he backed unwittingly into genius”. Six of those poems are recited here.
(Summary collated from McGonagall’s verse and Wikipedia by Cori Samuel.) (0 hr 30 min)
Chapters
| The Rattling Boy from Dublin | 4:24 | Read by Fox in the Stars |
| A Tribute to Mr Murphy and the Blue Ribbon Army | 4:00 | Read by Fox in the Stars |
| The Destroying Angel or The Poet's Dream | 5:49 | Read by Fox in the Stars |
| The Troubles of Matthew Mahoney | 4:37 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
| The Demon Drink | 5:47 | Read by Alana Jordan |
| A New Temperance Poem, in Memory of my Departed Parents | 5:33 | Read by Alana Jordan |
Reviews
Wacky fol de da fal de darlee doe
A LibriVox Listener
The rappin' boy from dublin town! Love the extra wack fol de dols at the end, fox! Wonderful read!