Doggerel, or doggrel, is poetry that is irregular in rhythm and in rhyme, often deliberately for burlesque or comic effect. Alternatively, it can mean verse which has a monotonous rhythm, easy rhyme, and cheap or trivial meaning.
The word is derived from the Middle English dogerel, probably a derivative of dog.[1] In English, it has been used as an adjective since the 14th century and a noun since at least 1630.[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":
Hip hop lyrics have also explored the artful possibilities of doggerel.[5]
Chaucer's Tale of Sir Thopas is written in this format. It irritates the Host of The Tabard so much that he interrupts him and makes him tell a different tale.