Doggerel, or doggrel, is poetry that is irregular in rhythm and in rhyme, often deliberately for burlesque or comic effect.
[2] Appearing since ancient times in the literatures of many cultures, doggerel is characteristic of nursery rhymes and children's song.
[3] The Scottish poet William McGonagall (1825–1902) has become famous for his doggerel,[4] which many remember with affection despite its seeming technical flaws, as in his poem "The Tay Bridge Disaster": Oh!
Ill-fated bridge of the silv'ry Tay, I now must conclude my lay By telling the world fearlessly without the least dismay, That your central girders would not have given way, At least many sensible men do say, Had they been supported on each side with buttresses, At least many sensible men confesses, For the stronger we our houses do build, The less chance we have of being killed.
Hip hop lyrics have also explored the artful possibilities of doggerel.