Poetry Book Review
Title: EROica
Author: William F. DeVault
Publisher: Venetian Spider Press
Released: February 14, 2023
Pages: 112
ISBN-13: 9781734946994
Stars: 5.0
The US National Beat Poet Laureate Emeritus, William F. DeVault, previously hailed as the Romantic Poet of the Internet, released a new book of poetry, EROica, primarily inspired by his muse, Mariya Andriichuk. I had no idea what I was setting myself up for when I chose to read it.
EROica, an ode of tribute to DeVault’s longtime friend and muse, is so spectacular that I feel I should give up writing poetry because there’s no way mine could ever be half as compelling. Reading it gutted me like a trout, grateful that death came quickly and easily. Although the cover is erotic and conveys a BDSM message, the poetry is more sensual than graphically sexy.
From “we begin at the end” to “in the sphere of Venus,” DeVault’s love for his muse is evident in every line, in every rhyme, and every time he professes his appreciation for her tresses, her lips and her eyes, he left me languid in a puddle of sighs.
I have never read the work of a Beat Poet Laureate unless you count Ginsberg and Ferlinghetti, but no amount of spaghetti could ever satisfy me the way DeVault’s poetic lyricism fills my belly to the groin and makes mine yearn for such a love as his for his Kyiv Venus.
In “The 1st heroic crown of Mariya,” DeVault carries on with the last line of each verse and makes it the first of the following poem, holding his reverence for her like a totem, mesmerizing us with a perfect dream of everything about her he holds in esteem. Finally, in the fifteenth verse, “The Diadem,” he compiles the first lines of the previous fourteen and beguiles us with the fate of his curse; we’re immersed until our heart bursts.
I had never heard of the word amomancy and had to look it up. If you’re wondering, “Amomancy is the supernatural art of changing people through poetry or eloquence.” This man coined the term and is obviously a master of the art.
My favourite poems are “sensible horizon,” “A Prayer for Life and Love,” ”life is a gallery of art,” 46 minute villanelle: the futility of truth” (perfection), “the tenor clears his throat,” “epic/the mock battlefield,” and “Plato’s cave.”
As a passionate romantic, I understand the torture of this man’s existence, the sting of unrequited love, and the loneliness of a monastic existence. As such, I have deep empathy, utter admiration, and gratitude for what he is willing to share on these pages. DeVault is a poet whose work I shall further seek, and I am blessed for having found it.