Approaching the bees…

It's one I the most beautiful books of poetry I've ever seen: a circuit-weave of hexagons that glints golden in the light, a single, golden bee silhouette in the centre like a Louis XVI wallpaper. A delight.

And yet perhaps the type is a little large and babyish? And is the degree of prominence given to prizes (Costa Poetry 2011) and titles (Poet Laureate) not just a little brash? And is the cut-out for the title really an octagon? That seems a little strange, in the context. But these are quibbles, perhaps. Onwards…