The statistics on this page are calculated from the 258 poems published on this site, rather than every one he ever wrote (several of which are entirely lost anyway). It is, nonetheless, an extremely representative sample of his output.
Subject Distribution
McGonagall has a reputation as a “disaster poet”, but as the following chart shows his range of subject matter was far wider, with no particular subject dominating the others:
Factual Basis
McGonagall was frequently inspired to write about notable people, places and events as opposed to more generic subjects. Whilst it’s not possible to measure the proportion of such poems objectively, a close approximation is to look at the proportion of poems whose subjects have an associated Wikipedia article:
Poems Over Time
McGonagall’s output varied over time, as can be seen below:
He also found some parts of the year more conducive to poetry writing than others:
McGonagall’s monthly output is no surprise
To anyone who is observant and wise
For it’s more pleasant to write on a sunny and fragrant day in June
Than to compose on a day that’s deep in winter’s gloom