Queen Elizabeth II: Poet Laureate Simon Armitage celebrates the death of the monarch

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The Poet Laureate wrote a poem to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Floral Tribute, by Simon Armitage, is written through the metaphor of the lily of the valley - one of the late Queen's favorite flowers, which featured in her bouquet of coronation.

The first letter of each line spells "Elizabeth" when taken together.

Armitage told BBC Radio 4 Today that he tried to be "personal and write a poem of condolence but without being intrusive".

Composed of two verses, Floral Tribute describes the coming of a September evening and the appearance of a lily as a "sign of thanks".

In the first stanza, Armitage writes, "A promise made and kept for life - it was your gift".

Explains his decision to use the acrostic technique t spell the late queen's name, Armitage said, "It's a pretty name, but one she rarely heard much because everyone had to precede it with ceremonial names."

Armitage told Today programming the poem was an opportunity to do something "outside of the language and commentary we've heard before."

Floral tribute by Simon Armitage