Queen Elizabeth paid poetic tribute by Armitage: 'Hands that can rest, now, relieved of a century's weight'

Simon Armitage paid a rich poetic tribute to Queen Elizabeth following her sad demise, highlighting her service for the throne and her people which he described as "A promise made and kept for life."

The heart-capturing lines in Armitage's "Floral Tribute" were written through the metaphor of the lily of the valley - one of the late Queen's favourite flowers, which appeared in her coronation bouquet.

Taking to Instagram on Tuesday Simon Armitage shared a poem to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

"Evening will come, however determined the late afternoon,

Limes and oaks in their last green flush, pearled in September mist.

I have conjured a lily to light these hours, a token of thanks,

Zones and auras of soft glare framing the brilliant globes.

A promise made and kept for life - that was your gift -

Because of which, here is a gift in return, glovewort to some,

Each shining bonnet guarded by stern lance-like leaves.

The country loaded its whole self into your slender hands,

Hands that can rest, now, relieved of a century's weight.

Evening has come. Rain on the black lochs and dark Munros.

Lily of the Valley, a namesake almost, a favourite flower

Interlaced with your famous bouquets, the restrained

Zeal and forceful grace of its lanterns, each inflorescence

A silent bell disguising a singular voice. A blurred new day

Breaks uncrowned on remote peaks and public parks, and

Everything turns on these luminous petals and deep roots,

This lily that thrives between spire and tree, whose brightness

Holds and glows beyond the life and border of its bloom."

Queen Elizabeth II presents Simon Armitage with The Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry upon his appointment as Poet Laureate during an audience at Buckingham Palace on May 29, 2019.