Scottish poet known for A Round of Applause and other collections of simple, humorous poems. During the 1970s and 1980s, he received both the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry and the Cholmondeley Award.
He was a pacifist and a conscientious objector during the World War II era and was widely criticized for his views.
His early literary work was influenced by the New Apocalypse Movement of the 1930s and '40s.
He was born and raised in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. His mother's Scottish Highland and Gaelic roots greatly influenced his personal and literary development.
He cited poet John Donne as a major literary influence.
