Volcano: The Collected Poems of Eunice De Souza: With an Introduction by Vidyan Ravinthiran

by Eunice de Souza

224 pages, Paperback

Published July 22, 2025

About the author

Eunice de Souza (1940–2017) was an Indian English language poet, literary critic and novelist.
Among her notable books of poetry are Women in Dutch painting (1988), Ways of Belonging (1990), Nine Indian Women Poets (1997), These My Words (2012), and Learn From The Almond Leaf (2016). She published two novels, Dangerlok (2001), and Dev & SImran (2003), and was also the editor of a number of anthologies on poetry, folktales, and literary criticism.

Reviews

[Prayash Giria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelled by my bookshop’s bingo chase, I forced myself to buy a book of poetry some weeks ago (it’s a genre I otherwise have little patience for or inclination towards). I ended up picking out Eunice de Souza’s Volcano simply because I rather enjoyed reading her ‘Dangerlok’ last year, and hoped the same acerbic wit and brevity would find its way to her poetry (for which she’s far more highly regarded). I was NOT disappointed, and I found myself practically inhaling this anthology (or whatever it is that you call a complete collection of poems by any given author). My favourites were her takes on Goa of yore, which were as observant as they were laughably sarcastic, and some of her more spare (but sharp) musings on grief and life in the big city. Admittedly, some of the mid-section work on nature and birds didn’t speak to me as fluently (which is why I rate this 4 and not 5 on 5), but on the whole, I rather enjoyed reading her poetry and proving my apprehensions unfounded.

[Anusha Narayanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

To say this book was anything short of a pure sensory delight like looking at the photo album of someone's life through moments captured in time in words...would be unfair. It's my first time reading poetry and boy, WHAT an introduction. I learnt how to read poetry with this one. A few pages every day...slowly... savouring all the flavour, drinking it all in and letting the brain fathom it. Eunice De Souza, thank you, and until we meet again, bye.