# Recommend Me Some Bad Poetry (Need Answer Fast) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** poetry\ **Created:** [December 21, 2025, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-bad-poetry-need-answer-fast/1025923 "2025-12-21T20:23:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-bad-poetry-need-answer-fast/1025923/21 "2025-12-22T09:18:17Z")
According to Google, it’s a pastiche of McGonagall from the BBC’s 1950 radio comedy _The Goon Show_, so presumably written by Spike Milligan > **[The Hastings Flyer - Robbed](https://www.thegoonshow.co.uk/scripts/hastings.html)** And it has previously been mentioned on SDMB > [@Help me find a suitable response](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-a-suitable-response/424873/38): > > Is that the dreaded William McGonagall and his Tay Bridge Disaster? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-bad-poetry-need-answer-fast/1025923/22 "2025-12-22T14:01:01Z")
This poem is a remarkable work that lends itself to a delightful drinking game. Have one copy of the poem. Tell everyone that it is about a great tragedy, and nobody must crack a smile during its recitation. Pass the poem around, and each person reads a stanza before passing the poem to the next person. The reading, of course, should be dramatic, stirring, full of pathos. [If](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45828/the-tay-bridge-disaster) you giggle at any time, you drink. If you giggle while you’re reading, finish your drink. Pity the poor fool stuck with reading the final stanza. [https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45828/the-tay-bridge-disaster](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45828/the-tay-bridge-disaster) ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-bad-poetry-need-answer-fast/1025923/23 "2025-12-22T16:30:54Z")
This is great. We will definitely be drinking. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-bad-poetry-need-answer-fast/1025923/24 "2025-12-22T16:38:52Z")
There’s that [Rupert Brooke](https://allpoetry.com/A-Channel-Passage) poem, [which Radar attempted to read](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0638411/) before being “slaked.” > The damned ship lurched and slithered. Quiet and quick > My cold gorge rose; the long sea rolled; I knew > I must think hard of something, or be sick… ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-bad-poetry-need-answer-fast/1025923/25 "2025-12-22T16:47:50Z")
From **Grosse Pointe Blank** : - [Martin Q. Blank](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000131/?ref_=ttqu_qu): Do you _really_ believe that there’s some stored up conflict that exists between us? There _is_ no us. _We_ don’t exist. So who do you wanna hit, man? It’s not me. Now whaddya wanna do here, man? - [Bob](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0191044/?ref_=ttqu_qu): [_Pulls out a folded up piece of paper_] - [Martin Q. Blank](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000131/?ref_=ttqu_qu): I don’t know what that is. - [Bob](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0191044/?ref_=ttqu_qu): These are my words. - [Martin Q. Blank](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000131/?ref_=ttqu_qu): It’s a poem? See, that’s the problem… express yourself, Bob! Go for it. - [Bob](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0191044/?ref_=ttqu_qu): “When I feel… quiet… when… I feel… blue…” - [Martin Q. Blank](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000131/?ref_=ttqu_qu): You know, I think that is _terrific_, what you have right there. Really, I liked it, a lot. I wouldn’t sell the dealership or anything but, I’m tellin’ ya… it’s intense! - [Bob](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0191044/?ref_=ttqu_qu): There’s… more. - [Martin Q. Blank](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000131/?ref_=ttqu_qu): Okay, would ya mind, just skip to the end. - [Bob](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0191044/?ref_=ttqu_qu): To… the very end? “For a while.” - [Martin Q. Blank](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000131/?ref_=ttqu_qu): Whew. That’s good man. - [Bob](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0191044/?ref_=ttqu_qu): “For a while.” - [Martin Q. Blank](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000131/?ref_=ttqu_qu): That’s excellent! - [Bob](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0191044/?ref_=ttqu_qu): You wanna do some blow? - [Martin Q. Blank](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000131/?ref_=ttqu_qu): No I don’t. - [Bob](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0191044/?ref_=ttqu_qu): [_Hugs Martin_] ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-bad-poetry-need-answer-fast/1025923/26 "2025-12-22T16:48:51Z")
I love that movie so much. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-bad-poetry-need-answer-fast/1025923/27 "2025-12-22T21:45:54Z")
> [@glee](#): > > Whilst reading this fine thread, a poetry extract about snow popped into my head … where is it from? > (I assume McGonagall…) > > inches three, > to inches three foot four > [@PatrickLondon](#): > > According to Google, it’s a pastiche of McGonagall from the BBC’s 1950 radio comedy _The Goon Show_, so presumably written by Spike Milligan Thank you! 😀 (I love the Goons. 😍) Small correction - the Goon show was largely written by **Spike Milligna** (the well-known typing error! 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2025, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-bad-poetry-need-answer-fast/1025923/28 "2025-12-23T13:14:53Z")
Thanks everyone it was a great send-off to my friend. I think he’d especially appreciate the dog one. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2025, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-bad-poetry-need-answer-fast/1025923/29 "2025-12-24T02:25:22Z")
You can’t have bad poetry without The People’s Poet [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VnZnnkJxoC8/hqdefault.jpg "The Young Ones: The Peoples Poet") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnZnnkJxoC8) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-bad-poetry-need-answer-fast/1025923.md?page=1)