Secret Of True Love: Poems from the Heart

by The Duke of Quails

In the short life I have lived, I have found many looking for love and yet dont know what it is. The book brings you threw all the emotions of love; how much it hurts, and how much happiness it can bring. I share with you stories of situations that can answer the questions you have been looking for unlocking the secrets of love. Foolish I know to think why do I need these secrets? The simple answer is when you find out the secrets of love you find the secrets to your own heart. To ask the simple questions of when will I find my true love? Why do I still love them after what they did? Questions that seem so small and easy are very hard to answer given the person it is jurdaining to. The book has many situations of love one could be a mirror of yours. We all know love has many secrets I give you one in the beginning of the book, as for the rest I leave for you to unlock in the pages of my poetry.

Genres: Poetry

66 pages, Paperback

Published January 6, 2015

About the author

Im usually not on here as much but for all my poetry projects future works hit me up on instagram
https://www.instagram.com/dukeofquails/

dont forget to check out my youtbe page, help me make poetry our revolution
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXbQ...

Reviews

[Janie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book of poetry explores the ups and downs of love. The author posits that, in loving another person, it is the heart that chooses who we love, while all we can control is how much we love that individual. There are many points of view exemplified in these poems, from the elderly to the child that is caught between battling parents. Sentiments are expressed from a gay perspective, through a father's love for his son and through the embarrassment of rejection. An abused mother fears that her violent husband will abandon her. In my favorite poem in the collection, strong emotion is elicited from the music of a saxophone player. The Duke is comprehensive in his viewpoints and is successful in his attempts to express emotion through different sources. His poetry is honest and shows much promise for the future.

I was provided with a free e-copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this anthology for an honest review.
The title of the anthology remains true to its theme of love, though I wouldn't necessarily call them secrets. The Duke of Quails explores many facets of love, from heartbreak to falling in love, from physical to true love.
His grasp of language is adept at exploring the emotions underpinning love's many guises, with some phrases which make you reflect on your own experiences of love.
If you're into poems to understand and explore how different people think about love, then you will like this anthology. If you like modern free verse poetry with no set metre, rhyme scheme or stanza length, then you will enjoy this anthology. There is one shape poem about love being a shield which is a nice touch.
The cover of the anthology is nice and reflective of the theme.

[Stjepan Cobets · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love is the greatest aphrodisiac in the world but also, it can be a poison which destroys the heart, if love is not returned. Poems from the collection of poems Secret Of True Love: Poems from the Heart -The Duke Of Quails have found that slightly different feelings of love and I loved from the first verse. From the poem would mention Old Love, Moment of His Confession, Smiling Child, My Son Is a Man, Scarf She Left Behind, Soprano Saxophone and Shield. I honestly enjoyed reading this collection.
"Copy provided courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review."

[Ann Girdharry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it's pretty impossible to rate a book of poems - some will speak to you and others will not.

I enjoyed reading this collection. They are well written and cover many different aspects of love. Many of the themes are profound, and it makes this an ambitious work with a lot of depth.

My favourite was 'Long Distance'.

Rating - three and a half stars.

[Purvi Petal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I personally do not like rating poetry books. If they are authentic, non-plagiarized poems then they are an interaction, a relation, a relatability of the reader with the poetic expression, in that moment of reading. What clicks once might or might not click the same way each time. Or what didn't bring out any feeling the first time, might become a totally different experience the next time. Finding meaning, relevance, connectivity or joy in a poetry book , as opposed to a prose book, depends more on the reader than the poet. It is a one to one experience, unparalleled.
The characters in this poetry book Secret Of True Love: Poems from the Heart, by The Duke Of Quails, are more like participants of a slam. Some female, others male, their interconnectedness through the daily grind called life bring out one repeated fact closer home: the escape of one is another's prison.
Part of the matter-of-factness of these characters and the lives they lead, in which time is parceled out in units that they make, is expressed in this experience that at times love is just a sense of belonging or interestingly, sex. At other times, of course, it brings emotions: wonder, surprise, grief, respite. But the strongest feeling that emerges is that of loneliness, of loneliness 'despite' what they have had is love in between. A relatable book for those who swear by the pain of love. Check it out.

https://puplumages.wordpress.com/2016...

[Harley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book of poems about love. Instead of writing about his personal love, the poet has chosen to write about love in all of its facets, not just from his perspective. There is old love, young love, big love, gay love, lost love, parental love, male love, female love, abusive love, musical love and brother love.

Some of my favorite poems are My Son is a Man, Abusive Ways, Phone Call, Saxophone Soprano.

Here are the closing lines of Saxophone Soprano.

"Play on, Gabriel, my Gabriel, play on,
Oh, that song he plays, no words can come of it,
No speech could match a song,
For me that horn will always be my sweet melody.
What beautiful love I found."

[Arthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of poems that deals with various aspects of love. Many of them are poignant, and set a nice tone. There are three sections, dealing with love's definition, hurts, and symbols.

I found the language very accessible and to the point. As I said above, there is a pleasant tone throughout them, and the author navigates through the sections easily.

My favorite poem is from the last section, and is entitled "Saxophone Soprano". The imag eof Gabriel blowing his horn is almost a commonplace, but the author gives new life to it in this poem. "Poetry that no words can find..." is a lovely image.

[♕ ❤ ♕ Princess pink diamonds posh bird LINZY.x.♕ ❤ ♕ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book of 'Poems from the Heart' by Duke. It looks at different types of Love and their emotions. My particular favourite was 'In my son is a man', and I have given this book 5 stars as it held my attention right up to the end, it was well written and for this it deserves top marks from me. If you enjoy this sort of poetry , give it a go, I think you might be hooked too. Well done Duke!

[Edward Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This extremely short collection of poetry, all on the topic of love, started off not being to my liking (I’m old school and love rhyming poetry), but then the rhymes started to come into the poems. This was a likeable quick read (less than half an hour) and poetry fans will get a kick out of the poets fun jabs at romance.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

In introduction, the Duke explains his quest for love, inclusive of his determination and his destiny. The poems that follow describe how love has no shape, no ideal and that love is neither shallow nor ornamental in its purest form. The first title in the book – BIG LOVE – displays the harshness, critique, shallowness, cold-hearted attitudes towards those with fuller figures, before crushing the insults and pointing out that inner-strength is magnificent gift which attracts true love. Different types of love in the world do not discriminate, whether it be between those older or who live apart, sometimes in great distance. Love is not measured in how close you can stand next to somebody or inhabit the other’s personal space. Love can also sometimes bring out ugly aspects of a person’s persona, such as jealousy, ego and snobbery. Having the love of another does not make you better than anybody else, but it does make you that person’s whole world; hopefully it brings you to become a better person than you once were or which you could have been.

The Duke of Quails has introduced a book of many different sonnets and poems, showing there are many different types of love, including that in the innocent eyes of a child or a love for animals, young love and more. Some also show the emotion behind those who are abused and battered, giving examples of how love can prevail, even against reason, such as in the title: ABUSIVE WAYS. As a domestic violence survivor, the words within this particular poem rang true and brought tears to my eyes. As I read through each poem, my heart almost felt like it would burst from my chest at the incredibly beautiful and descriptive words which lay before me. With so much darkness and hate in today’s world, I pondered how different life would be if we all lived by kindness and giving, thus dissolving the racism, torment and ill-feelings towards others. Even a love for one’s pet is so strong that it defines true love, as it comes without conditions, without a catch and without restriction. The Secret of True Love: Poems from the Heart is a book of pure emotion, which brings out love, light and positivity in the reader. I very much enjoyed reading The Duke of Quails’ writings within this book, and recommend that it be stocked in school, city and home libraries in order to bring inspiration to all readers when they need it the most.

- Rosie Malezer for Readers’ Favorite

[Vale · Rating 5 out of 5]

This poem book written by Quailes, The Duke, is encouraging and inspiring in too much ways to count. It touches the delicate and powerful emotion of love, as something that can change our lives. It is as well, a book that knows how to criticize topics a superficial acts, and the relationships that are"trending now" if you could call it that. One reason why I liked this book so much is that it isn't just focus on the typical way love is defined. It also speaks about love between family members and the problems of women that aren't brave enough to be alone. Something I found pretty much remarkable for this book is that it doesn't limit itself by just talking about love as something that makes us happy, but something that can make us suffer. The book talks about forgiveness and about not noticing what we have until its gone for good. It caught my attention that the book, too gives away a comprehensive analyzes on the way some members of our own families manipulate or threaten us. The book also speaks about life and death as important and natural and inevitable events of time. It shows that maybe the secret of true love is not just being there for your friends and family, but about being free, and accepting ourselves and the unfortunate or great events in our lives.

[Tamir A. Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Duke of Quails is a writer’s writer who has presented us with a lovely assortment of poetry dedicated to the topic of L-O-V-E. The Duke’s talent with the written word enables the personification of the often undefinable emotion and each poem speaks through the eyes and hearts of heterogeneous speakers. With themes related to multiple facets of love along the spectrum including young love, mature love and sensual love; The Duke captures and holds the reader’s attention throughout this complete body of work. The Duke appears to be quite empathetic toward the plight of every type of lover and surmises with a detailed introduction that love is not delivered to the receiver optionally but appreciation of the gift is unfairly voluntary. The book is an entertaining adventure through relationships both inspiring and heartbreaking. It was an exercise in thought and feeling that won’t easily be forgotten.

[Gene Twaronite · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for an honest review. Not being a fan of love poetry, especially love poetry laced with religious references, I was prepared not to like it. But I was pleasantly surprised. I found in many of these poems a depth of perception and emotion and range of experience I would expect only from a much older poet.

Not all the poems worked for me, of course. (Even my favorite poet Billy Collins strikes out for me occasionally, though rarely). I especially liked the opening poem "Big Love," with its beautiful last line "Wishing for something you can't have." There's even humor here. In "Old Love," the line "Large Coke float, two straws, and no whip" lent just the right touch.

The most moving poem for me was "Abusive Ways," with its sad laments: "I'm the one to blame" and "It was just one hit."

This is an excellent first book, and I expect to see more of the Duke's poems in the future.

[Suhasini Srihari · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful collection of poetry, which reveals a promising poet. I believe "Duke of Quails" has made a sincere effort in penning these lines almost effectively, and in time he could be a wonderful poet. The collection of poems remind one of the many faces and phases of love, which indeed is true, and one can relate to it completely. There is tender-love, teenage-love, puppy-love, couple-love, married couple-love, and long distance-love - altogether hold a mirror to simply reflect the feelings that remain unexpressed. This work is a good effort, and a quick read.

[Rem · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was blown away by this short collection of poetry. My favorite ones were: "The Moment of his Confession, "My Chocolate Man", "Pour the Wine", "Old Love", "For the Child", and "Saxophone Soprano". I was really surprised (not sure why) a the raw emotion, depth, and candid honesty. Very shirt and sweet, no beating around the bush. I've never read any poetry quite like this, save for Langston Hughes.

[Kimberly Westrope · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The poems are all about the many aspects of love, both the good and the bad. The topics range from first love to parental love to abusive love and more. The poems are, at times, heartbreakingly honest. They are written in a modern linguistic style that anyone can relate to. I look forward to more from this author.

[Connie Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the soulful poems in Secret of True Love: Poems from the Heart. The author Duke of Quails covered the many facets of love and how they can impact people in different ways. I found the poems thoughtful and like the title implies written from the heart.
Connie Howell
Author of Perfectly Imperfect,How to be Imperfect and Remain Lovable

[Gretchen Guerrettaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about the different types of love and what people do for love. I thought it was very well written. It really captured what love is, and what it is supposed to be. It helped me realize what I want in a healthy relationship, and what we should all want.

[Maggie Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart felt poems about love. Love is not always a safe happy place and I appreciate being able to read others poetic tales from the heart.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review, so thank you so much to Duke for sending it to me!

Content warnings: fatphobia, mentions of religion/religious imagery, cheating, dysfunctional relationships

Secrets of True Love is a poetry collection which discusses love in a number of forms. We have romantic love, but also familial love and the love we have for our pets, for example. The author claims to have uncovered some of the secrets of love and that he reveals them in this book.

The book is divided into three sections, "Definitions of True Love," "Love That Hurts" and "Symbols of Love." The poems are told from a number of different perspectives, with lots of different speakers as the poet puts himself into other people's shoes, reimagining how others might experience love.

My favourite poems in the collection were 'Man With No Future,' 'Listen to Me' and 'Pour the Wine.' I felt that 'Man With No Future' resonated me on a more personal level, whereas 'Listen to Me' and Pour the Wine' were enjoyable because of the way they were constructed. 'Listen to Me' has a hidden message as the title of is hidden within the poem, and 'Pour the Wine' had a good rhythm that I felt had the best flow of any of the poems in the book.

I liked the idea of the book and was interested by the concepts of love that the author said he had discovered. Although I didn't personally find his insights to be groundbreaking from my perspective, I liked the idea that he had found a new level of personal acceptance of what love means to him. I also enjoyed that he incorporated poems about different forms of love, because I was expecting this poem to focus entirely on romantic love and it was refreshing to see other kinds of love celebrated and treated with equal importance.

In terms of the writing, I wasn't the biggest fan of the way most of the poems were constructed. The writing style is simple and easy to read for the most part, but the author has written a lot of the poems in a more traditional, archaic style. Many of the poems rhyme (which can be done well, but is not something I personally enjoy) and some are written in a way that makes them sound a lot older than they are - using words such as 'thee' and 'thy,' for example. I understand that this may be an artistic choice, but I personally felt that it made the poems a little clunky. I also noticed that there were certain parts of the book that described people in ways that were very insensitive. An example was in the first poem, 'Big Love,' which is about a speaker who is dating a plus-sized woman. The woman is described as 'the blob,' 'obese' and 'whale.' Although the narrator of the poem states that he loves her and is attracted to her, and the whole point of the poem is that he disregards the nasty opinions of others, I felt that this could have been conveyed without resorting to these kinds of descriptions.

[April Pitts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the diversity of stories about love offered in Duke of Quails' book, Secret of True Love: Poems from the Heart (2015) and how the author divided the book into three sections that examined three different kinds of love relationships (e.g., poems about toxic relationships, poems about unconventional relationships).

I also enjoyed the imagery and storytelling present, particularly in two poems from the book's second section: "Abusive Ways," a poem told from the viewpoint of a battered woman, and "Not the Relationship Type," told from the perspective of an emotionally unavailable man. These poems intrigued me because they seemed to offer an unusual (but, unfortunately, incredibly realistic) take on two toxic relationships.

However, the constant, sudden viewpoint shifts within poems and the inconsistent rhyming schemes were distracting and made it difficult for the reader to understand the overall purpose of many of the poems. In poems like "Big Love," "Bro-getter," and "New Year's Resolution," for instance, the lack of a unified narrative perspective (e.g., first person, third person) throughout the works prevents readers from understanding who is speaking or for what purpose.

In poems like "Long Distance," " Just Don't Understand," and "Puppy Love," for instance, the inconsistent rhyming patterns within the poems (e.g., making only the first half of a poem rhyme, rhyming in some spots but not others) was distracting and made the poems sound awkward and unfinished when read out loud.

In short, I appreciated the diverse perspectives on love offered in this collection but its potential was marred by the distracting point of view shifts within poems and the lack of a consistent rhyming scheme in poems that rhymed.

My rating: 3.5 stars.

[Rohvannyn Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't normally read poetry books, but I'm glad I made an exception.

This little book is filled with all the times and tides of love. Reading the poems one by one is like taking a journey through a dozen lives, seeing love form all sides and viewpoints. This free verse style poetry is thoughtful and has good choices of words. There is not a single dab of pretentiousness here, but there is laughter and heartache and even a few surprises.

My humble advice to you is that you read each poem carefully, on its own, as each is decidedly different from the others even through they are all bound by a central thing. That's another thing I like about this book.

If you enjoy poetry, or have been in love, this book is for you.

[Pauline Horner · Rating 3 out of 5]

SECRET OF TRUE LOVE: POEMS FROM THE HEART

This book of poems attempts to put meanings to what true love can be defined as. Love can be so many things, and will always remain a mystery. I especially enjoyed 'Lighted Candle' and 'Saxophone Soprano' as I felt that they were simply written, with feeling.
Well done to Duke of Quails.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I unfortunately had to DNF the book. Don't get me wrong the writing is beautiful. I just don't agree with what was being spoke. Some things went against my beliefs and I couldn't continue. I read about three poems and I made my decision. Others will appreciate the beauty and unveiling of the heart.

[John Francis]

This collection, ‘Secret of True Love’, holds poems full of humanity and empathy, written with unpretentious vocabulary and structures, and with the quality of song lyrics.
There are twenty-nine poems arranged in three sections: Definition of True Love, Love That Hurts, and Symbols of Love. ‘Love’ here means intimate relationships of all kinds and at all stages of life – young people in the grip of sexual attraction, abusive marriage, father and adult son, grandmother and grandchild, and ex partners. There are diverse moods of ‘love’, including passion, envy, regret, pride and acceptance.
One of the best pieces is, ‘Just Be Happy For Me’, which shows great sympathy to its protagonist - a widowed father asking his adult children for forgiveness and understanding after finding new love in old age.
A contrasting mood of selfishness and bitter wit is caught it ‘Not the Relationship Type’: ‘Didn’t I tell you/ Following this ship will make you fall off the waterfall . . . my loyalty is to myself – the person I am is undefined/ What are boyfriends?/ They’re a strange breed of men,/ And if you searched in my heart, you would never find any trace of them.’
There is a gentle and poetic touch in ‘Saxophone Soprano’ as a musician’s work is described as ‘Love shown with art’, a love-inspired music so compelling that, ‘Even at night the moon follows your sound.’
In his foreword the author, ‘The Duke of Quails’, tells us that, ‘even though love has so many secrets, I have found just one. . . the other secrets are waiting to be uncovered within the lines of these poems.’
This poet with the interesting name shows his own sincerity, good heart and sympathy to the diverse situations of others in a collection with an equally interesting theme and arrangement.

[Nisar Masoom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secret of True Love: Poems from the Heart is a poetry book by The Duke of Quails which leaves no romantic heart untouched. It starts off with a short note about the subject of authentic affection, and though I found this introduction quite unusual for a poetry book, after finishing it I was motivated to read even further on.

The table of contents is divided into three segments: The Definition of True Love, Love That Hurts and last but not the least, Symbols of Love. All of these categories contain at least nine poems. I was astounded by the versatility of the verses, and that no poem ever seemed the same. Take for example the lines of Big Love featured in the foremost segment:

"Obese for her height,
Plus-size clothing stores only.
Is that food going to do the job?
Hey, buddy, did you marry the blob?"

Now, consider the starting verses of the poem, Old Love, that follows:

"The bond they share,
The night so near, I say their
Fifty, sixty, seventy years,
Sounds close."

Each poem differs quite substantially in rhyme and overall structure. This is the best aspect of the book as it leaves no space for monotony, and is enticing throughout the comprehensive length. The diversity of topics incorporated here are astoundingly impressive. These include: Obesity, homosexuality, unconditional love, unfaithfulness, happiness, melancholy and so many others. This is surely a mature assortment. And true love is a consistent theme of the assemblage.

It was hard to pick favorites but my most preferable section was the third, Symbols of Love. This is because it featured the two exceptional poems in this book: Scarf She Left Behind and Pour the Wine. Here are some lines from the former:

"The scarf she left,
Her skin, her sweat tattooed on the fabric.
The nights news numerous
Memories; the music, the darkness we were in.
No eyes to look, just to touch,
And let a blind child’s senses guide us through the dance.
Hugging, holding hands,
Whispering in my ear the roses of sweet romance."

And here are some lines from the latter:

"It resembles the redness of the wine,
But why the color red?
Too much of it will lead you down two paths:
One of happiness
And one that’s dead."

So, you can see that the author is not afraid to explore the gloomy depths of love. Secret of True Love is comprised of a juxtaposition of the light side of love and its dark part. I would also like to state that Scarf She Left Behind and Pour the Wine are not only my most cherished poems from this collection, but one of the finest I've ever read.

To end with, Secret of True Love: Poems from the Heart is a must-read poetry compilation. It not only lives up to its title, but also does justice to it, and will satisfy all your amorous desires as well. Hope to read more of The Duke of Quails' work soon.

[Lawal Jimoh · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHEN THE UNDOING SECRET PROJECT ACCOMPLISHED AND NO REJECT FLOURISHED: A REVIEW OF DUKE OF QUAIL'S SECRET OF TRUE LOVE

By Lawal Jimoh

Over twenty-five wondrous writings with wide words and three branches of Love is Everything, in a prose poetry manner. Love is Patience.

In “Secret of True Love,” stupendous, diligent Duke of quality Quails, I called him to Expect My Review, Respect By View. Behind the making of the brilliant book, diligent Duke did upend the understanding of human behaviour around the ramifications of hate, divorce, gender equality, marital life, relationship and many more in the Secret of the True Love of how it comes from the heart, and balancing love between the door of being bad and good as measured from the mind but it comes from the heart.

Until that very moment, I have got to read till the end as my head followed the trend of keeping me guessing in every poem what would this reveal, and I found it more than a meal.

With poems likes “Shield”, “My Son Is a Man”, “Moment of His Confession”, “Scarf She Left Behind”, “ Lighted Candle ”, “Listen to Me ” and “Phone Call”, diligent Duke of quality Quails is not only a poet but also a pupil of nature, moment, life and society. His knowledge of stupendousness is as propound as his knowledge of captured moments and nature to tell by showing other Secrets of True Love.

The only fault I noticed in “Secret of True Love” by diligent Duke of quality Quail was me being confused would this title of this poem have been the title of this brilliant book. Besides, I could see every poem as a big book of diligent Duke's. Perhaps “Big Secret of True Love”, I think. The glaring accuracies of description with which diligent Duke's poetry abounds are amazing with its simplicity, but loaded poems.


In addition to the success of “Secret of True Love” the brilliant book I called would give that same interpretation of each theme with any possible reader. And you would get pure impressions of what comes from the heart with intriguing imaginations. It is enjoyable read for every single sweet sight.

The poet vividly shows the social condition of man, how someone should go about true love as he wakes up to meet the challenges of everyday life and should be survived for every home. Behind the Secret, the search for a better understanding of our behaviour towards True Love is vital. With Secret of True Love, diligent Duke of quality Quails succeeds in harnessing over twenty-five Secrets of True Love everyone should read more household read. If Secret of True Love has communicated some things, secrets, about love, you need to read too.

www.smartbankpoetry.blogspot.com
Lawalomo99@gmail.com

[Poetrycam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touching, gripping, creative, deep, wise, insightful and relatable*.
A short, powerful book. I never expected to be so heart warming and emotionally wise, offering distinctive and accurate points of view on love with a lot of sense of humor sometimes, soft, sublime lines of thought with depth of perception on the subject.
A amazingly talented poet that presented me with one of the most complete and satisfying poetic works that I've read.
It is indeed a foolish deed to ignore this book, even if you never read poetry, for it present us with stories, and lessons that we should all learn.

Júlio C. Carlos,
Lulu author.

[Guy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Duke of the Quails has created some good and strong images and juxtapositions in his three part exploration of the mystery of love. The three parts he chose to look at, out of the many that ‘love’ comprises, are broken out in three sections: ‘I. Definitions of True Love’, ‘II. Love that Hurts’, and ‘III. Symbols of Love.’

A good example of his language comes from Funny Note in ‘II. Love that Hurts’,

Dreaming of our future, that day they release the two doves,
And everyone is laughing—no words, no greeting, just laughing—
And there you are smiling, throwing food at me,

Unfortunately, Quail’s good and creative use of language doesn’t quite make up for the feeling this collection gives me of being a single note, and that that note is somehow disconnected from the emotion of the pain he explores. Almost all of the poems are about painful relationships, and all are told by narrators who feel disconnected, either from themselves or from their objects of love. The words describe pain and hurt, but did not evoke in me the feeling of pain and hurt. I wanted to feel empathy with them, but simply did not.

The feeling I get from them is that the pain being explored is the superficial pain, the pain we see in their actions and language, but that somehow remains skin deep. I do not get a feeling for any of the narrators of their personal pain, or of any sense of reference or understanding of the roots of that pain, or the possibility for that to lead to growth or personal understanding.

And that the people have an unreality about them in his writing is well summarized in what is one of only two weakly ‘positive’ poems in the collection, My Chocolate Man. The closing stanza is:

Cocoa beans from heaven’s tree, drizzling chocolate made by
My chocolate man, a brownie tower that was crafted by God’s hands.
A big girl loves her candy, and I love my chocolate man—never bitter but always sweet.
No matter how much I taste, there’s so much more to eat.

The object of love has been dehumanized overtly, and at the same time the narrator also has the feeling of unreality.

I give this three stars because Duke of Quails poems are creative, with strong and colourful language. They strike me as a young writer’s poems, and suggest a good writing future for him.

[Amytiger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetry. I have no idea how to review this genre of literature, especially as I am not currently in a coffee shop, I don't smoke, and that poofy/flat French hat that starts with a b but is impossible to spell is somewhere buried in my closet. So, here goes trying:


PROS

1. Instead of just closing his eyes, crossing his fingers, and writing about how blonde his lover is (I read YA romance, so that's what I'm used to), the author actually very rarely focused on how physically the person looked. I've noticed that the times he alludes to the person being "beautiful," the poem almost always has a sad ending. He tends to focus instead on a plot or a simple entity or explaining his love, etc.

2. He didn't just make a bunch of nice metaphors and topped it off with the words, "That's love." He made a conscience effort at rhyme scheme, the way the poem looks, and he even once had a poem where you could read a section of it vertically.

3. He looked at multiple kinds of love, which was cool. Dog love, brother love, dad to kid love, and it all seemed so authentic.

4. This is going to sound lame, but I liked that I could understand it. It wasn't like he was comparing a lover to a piece of wood and I was expected to understand the depth of such a comparison. It was actually something I could follow. That's saying something.

5. Alliteration. I'm a sucker for alliteration. That's weird, right?


CONS

1. This isn't really a con, but I wished he also looked at love of another THING instead of person. Like greed or the love of an idea of power.


Overall, glad I read it. It's easy to get through (57 pages total) and cost less than three dollars on amazon, free if you have prime. There's a lot of plot in two pages (of course, once again I have to point out that I read YA romance, where there can be no plot in two HUNDRED pages). Plus, it's cool to look at the amount of effort with the rhyme and the aesthetic appeal and the alliteration and the symbolic part and the alliteration and the different loves and the alliteration (man, I do love a good alliteration!). So get it if you want to be sucked in to so many journeys of love, and to resurface to reality just a half hour later! Now, if you excuse me, I believe I have a hat to find...