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.
