Doyle’s essay uses vivid descriptions and science to describe how fragile, yet powerful, the organ. The author was trying to demonstrate that animals all share the same characteristic: the heart. He uses the analogy of the hummingbird’s heart to convey his message. It is still powerful, regardless of its size. The first American explorers gave the hummingbird the name Joyas Voladoras. It means “flying jewels”. He continues to explain how the hummingbird’s heart beats so fast that they often experience aneurysms. Their hearts racing symbolizes their short life expectancy.
“So many things held in a single heart over the course of a lifetime. There is so much in a person’s heart that they can hold onto in a single day, hour, or moment. Brian says that people are “utterly open to no one” and don’t really share what they have with others. His current topic dictates the style of the essay. Hummingbirds are mentioned at the beginning, so the writing style is short. Doyle later mentioned large whales. Doyle wrote this section of the essay longer and more slowly than the beginning. Doyle’s discussion of the heart was meant to show that all animals have a heart and that there is a limit to how many can be used in a lifetime. You can use them slowly, as a tortoise would, and live to become two hundred years old. Or you can use them quickly, like an hummingbird. Doyle claims that a blue whale’s heart is the largest in the entire world. They are seven ton and have the largest hearts of any mammal. Doyle uses many different tones in his introduction. His tone is almost scientific, almost like he were writing a report about hummingbirds or whales. When he begins to discuss the differences in hearts, however, his tone shifts. This text has a lot negative connotations. It was written by someone who was disappointed in the way people live their lives. Doyle believed that everyone should see the greater purpose of life and live it. There were some positive connotations. This included the passage about the blue-blue whales and their greatest love because they kept each other company and helped each other.
The author is thoughtful and wants to help us live our lives and feel our emotions. Continue on with Doyle’s article “Joyas Voladoras” where he tries to get society to realize that everyone is a hummingbird. Either choose to be fast and live it well, or to be a tortoise who misses all the wonderful things life has to give you. Brian Doyle’s Joyas Voladoras was created to remind people to treasure each moment of life, even the most difficult. Doyle says that every moment of life is as important as the time it takes to hold onto it. There is so much in a heart that can be held in a single day, hour, or moment. Doyle’s view of love and life is illustrated by using the metaphor of animals’ hearts.
