The Gates of Light is a substantial collection of poems written
since 2009 by James Aitchison, author of New Guide to Poetry
and Poetics (Rodopi Editions, 2013), The Golden Harvester: the
Vision of Edwin Muir (Aberdeen University Press, 1988) and The
Cassell Dictionary of English Grammar (Cassell, 1996), as well as
five previous poetry collections.
James Aitchison's vigorous poetic gifts light upon trees, birds and
wild animals with strong, unsentimental feeling and a beautifully
scientific veracity; his poems pinpoint social ills, confront searing
memories, and skilfully portray the challenges of old age, giving rueful,
gracious thanks to an enduring love.
