2 years, 2 months ago
What do you think of the poem Achilles by the British poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy?
The poem is about David Beckham and his unfortunate injury...
( a copy of the poem can be found here:http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/poetry/article7064405.ece )
( a copy of the poem can be found here:http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/poetry/article7064405.ece )
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M$1 Answer
Well here is the poem:
--quote--
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 prophesised, they would not take Troy.
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,
And it was sport, not war, his charmed foot on the ball...
But then his heel, his heel, his heel...
--end quote--
Clearly they are lacking in poets if she is a British poet laureate - she seems a little overrated to me and the poem seems a little uninspired.
Beckham was nearing the end of his career anyway - and if it wasn't his achilles, it would have been his anterior cruciate ligament, or something else. That is the reality when you kick a ball for a living over the age of 30.
Beckham could kick a ball better than the vast majority of the people on the planet, but in the grand scheme of things he didn't really make any great contributions to the benefit of humanity, did he? Honoring a soccer player in verse seems a little silly and the poem seems a little overblown.
--quote--
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 prophesised, they would not take Troy.
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,
And it was sport, not war, his charmed foot on the ball...
But then his heel, his heel, his heel...
--end quote--
Clearly they are lacking in poets if she is a British poet laureate - she seems a little overrated to me and the poem seems a little uninspired.
Beckham was nearing the end of his career anyway - and if it wasn't his achilles, it would have been his anterior cruciate ligament, or something else. That is the reality when you kick a ball for a living over the age of 30.
Beckham could kick a ball better than the vast majority of the people on the planet, but in the grand scheme of things he didn't really make any great contributions to the benefit of humanity, did he? Honoring a soccer player in verse seems a little silly and the poem seems a little overblown.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
Do you understand the satire?
I found it to be extremely well done, and actually now understand the role of the poet laureate a little better. I laughed very loudly when I read it :)