This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/8570282.stm
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Laureate pens Beckham Achilles ode | Laureate pens Beckham Achilles ode |
| (5 days later) | |
| First came a poem on the scandal of British MPs' expenses. | First came a poem on the scandal of British MPs' expenses. |
| Next was a tribute to the men who fought in World War One, after the deaths of the last two British soldiers to live through the conflict. | Next was a tribute to the men who fought in World War One, after the deaths of the last two British soldiers to live through the conflict. |
| Now, poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy has penned a poem with the perhaps unusual inspiration of David Beckham's Achilles injury. | Now, poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy has penned a poem with the perhaps unusual inspiration of David Beckham's Achilles injury. |
| Triumph and tragedy | Triumph and tragedy |
| The work is entitled Achilles and mixes references to the ancient battlefield hero with allusions to battles on the football field and to Beckham himself. | The work is entitled Achilles and mixes references to the ancient battlefield hero with allusions to battles on the football field and to Beckham himself. |
| The cross-over was very apparent to a woman who admits to being a big fan of the game. | The cross-over was very apparent to a woman who admits to being a big fan of the game. |
| ACHILLES BY CAROL ANN DUFFY Myth's river - where his mother dipped him, fished him, a slippery golden boy flowed on, his name on its lips. | ACHILLES BY CAROL ANN DUFFY Myth's river - where his mother dipped him, fished him, a slippery golden boy flowed on, his name on its lips. |
| Without him, it was prophesied, they would not take Troy. | Without him, it was prophesied, they would not take Troy. |
| Women hid him, concealed him in girls' sarongs; days of sweetmeats, spices, silver songs... | Women hid him, concealed him in girls' sarongs; days of sweetmeats, spices, silver songs... |
| But when Odysseus came, with an athlete's build, a sword and a shield, he followed him to the battlefield, the crowd's roar, | But when Odysseus came, with an athlete's build, a sword and a shield, he followed him to the battlefield, the crowd's roar, |
| And it was sport, not war, his charmed foot on the ball... | And it was sport, not war, his charmed foot on the ball... |
| But then his heel, his heel, his heel... | But then his heel, his heel, his heel... |
| "He (Beckham) is almost a mythical figure himself, in popular culture," the poet told Radio 4's The World At One. | "He (Beckham) is almost a mythical figure himself, in popular culture," the poet told Radio 4's The World At One. |
| "People, like Beckham, in their public lives are stories the rest of us follow. | "People, like Beckham, in their public lives are stories the rest of us follow. |
| "It's fascinating that the injury takes its name from Achilles... The whole point of Greek myths is the combination of triumph and tragedy that we follow in them," she added. | "It's fascinating that the injury takes its name from Achilles... The whole point of Greek myths is the combination of triumph and tragedy that we follow in them," she added. |
| According to ancient Greek mythology, Achilles was the greatest warrior in the Trojan war. | According to ancient Greek mythology, Achilles was the greatest warrior in the Trojan war. |
| The myth held that he was made invulnerable by being dipped in the waters of the River Styx. | The myth held that he was made invulnerable by being dipped in the waters of the River Styx. |
| But, because he was held by the ankle, his heel remained unprotected and became his only weakness. | But, because he was held by the ankle, his heel remained unprotected and became his only weakness. |
| This is where the notion of "having an Achilles heel" comes from. | This is where the notion of "having an Achilles heel" comes from. |
| 'Moving moment' | 'Moving moment' |
| The impact of Beckham's injury, which has ruled the former England captain out of this summer's World Cup, moved Duffy greatly. | The impact of Beckham's injury, which has ruled the former England captain out of this summer's World Cup, moved Duffy greatly. |
| Beckham's injury has ruled the player out of the World Cup | Beckham's injury has ruled the player out of the World Cup |
| "In many ways he's very human, and the interesting thing about taking ordinary people with a particular talent and making them into heroes is when they are seen at their most human," she said. | "In many ways he's very human, and the interesting thing about taking ordinary people with a particular talent and making them into heroes is when they are seen at their most human," she said. |
| "The most tragic image was him being unable to walk and crying on the side of the pitch. | "The most tragic image was him being unable to walk and crying on the side of the pitch. |
| "You just thought how all the money in the world and private planes can't sort this. It was a very moving moment." | "You just thought how all the money in the world and private planes can't sort this. It was a very moving moment." |
| The 34-year-old footballer has since been treated by a Finnish ankle specialist and is expected to take at least six months to recover from the injury. | The 34-year-old footballer has since been treated by a Finnish ankle specialist and is expected to take at least six months to recover from the injury. |
| I'm a lot more likely to watch football than he is to read poetry Carol Ann Duffy | I'm a lot more likely to watch football than he is to read poetry Carol Ann Duffy |
| This is not the first time Beckham, well-known for appearing in glossy fashion magazines, has crossed the divide into the arts. | This is not the first time Beckham, well-known for appearing in glossy fashion magazines, has crossed the divide into the arts. |
| An hour-long video of the former England captain, which simply showed him sleeping, was a star attraction at the National Portrait Gallery in 2004. | An hour-long video of the former England captain, which simply showed him sleeping, was a star attraction at the National Portrait Gallery in 2004. |
| So far there has been no indication of what he makes of the poem - and the poet laureate admits that she is not expecting to hear from him. | So far there has been no indication of what he makes of the poem - and the poet laureate admits that she is not expecting to hear from him. |
| "I'm a lot more likely to watch football than he is to read poetry!" she told Radio 4. | "I'm a lot more likely to watch football than he is to read poetry!" she told Radio 4. |