When you first begin Brian Doyle's piece, Joyas Volardores, and he asks you to "Consider the hummingbird for a moment" (Doyle, Brian. "Joyas Volardores." The Carolina Reader. USC Columbia: Hayden-McNeil, 2015. 64-66. Print.), you might think that you are going to be reading some informational essay about the magnificent and how yet, while limited in size, important creatures affect this world we live in. However, this essay leads into a captivating and thought-provoking piece that bends the rules of literature in order to leave the reader interested. Doyle uses multiple elements and strategies in order to prove his point of the challenges of living, or having a heart.

Doyle begins in his first few paragraphs by deciphering the humming bird's heart, using metaphorical words and sentence structure to create a certain rhythm that resembles a heartbeat, representing being alive. Specifically in the second paragraph describing the lifestyle of the bird, he uses short and quick sentences when speaking of their activeness and agility, but uses long and drawn out sentences when describing the physical challenges they endure as well, representing the beat of the heart in those certain situations. This is also evident in the next sentences shortly after when describing the "bearded-helmet crests and booted racket-tails, violet-tailed sylphs and violet-capped woodnymphs" (Doyle, Brian. "Joyas Volardores." The Carolina Reader. USC Columbia: Hayden-McNeil, 2015. 64-66. Print.). The quickness of the beat creates a rhythm that, out loud, sounds like the beat of a heart. This not only ties back to his theme, but also creates a rhythm to the essay. This rhythm also ties into the child-like and wondrous theme he provides throughout most of the essay. 

The rules of grammar are broken when Doyle describes the size of a blue whale as "waaaaay bigger than your car", or when he describes hummingbirds as having "racecar speeds" (Doyle, Brian. "Joyas Volardores." The Carolina Reader. USC Columbia: Hayden-McNeil, 2015. 64-66. Print.), the author is using childlike words and phrases and is neglecting grammar usage in order to create a sense of freedom and wonder throughout the essay. This freedom and wonder helps to create a more universal perspective as the essay switches from talking of biology to talking of humanity. Even as you read about the different chambers of a mammals heart from whale to a single bacteria, and then read on to more personal relatable topics like the love of a mother, or the feeling of heartbreak, you are still reading it with an open mind and a more whole perspective, which is why Doyle used the melodious structure and choice he did in order for you to do so. He wanted to prove his point that no matter who or what you are, "We all churn inside" (Doyle, Brian. "Joyas Volardores." The Carolina Reader. USC Columbia: Hayden-McNeil, 2015. 64-66. Print.), and that is why it is so easy to read from a hummingbird to a human being and still keep that child-like wonder.

It is important to point out that the author only speaks of the human concern in the very last paragraph of his essay, yet you can still grasp his concept even though in normal circumstances it is difficult to relate to a blue whale, a hummingbird, or a single-celled bacteria, supporting the previous claim made. Doyle emphasizes his statement of everything churning inside in hidden ways as stated previously in order to present the effect that we have. When we read about the blue whale and their "penetrating moaning cries" (Doyle, Brian. "Joyas Volardores." The Carolina Reader. USC Columbia: Hayden-McNeil, 2015. 64-66. Print.), we feel the same as if we would when we read, "the words I have something to tell you", as Doyle states. That same perspective is kept as the author's choice of structure both altogether and in specific cases, turns your feelings from personal to universal within just a few paragraphs.

In a final point, Brian Doyle not only changes your perspective and outlook through his whimsical and wondrous writing style, but he also makes you experience life as you peruse and dig further into his essay. Throughout his work, Doyle emphasizes on the heart and life experiences and how "we all churn inside" being his focal point, or the single statement that represents his whole work (Doyle, Brian. "Joyas Volardores." The Carolina Reader. USC Columbia: Hayden-McNeil, 2015. 64-66. Print.). The first sentence leaves you confused, not knowing what the future of this piece will entail. You read on, and begin to learn facts about the hummingbird and start to feel this freedom in the writing almost like it is speaking to your inner child. It seems like this piece will end with you gaining well-rounded knowledge and sympathy about these beings and have a deeper understanding. However, as you get to the end, the last paragraph hits you with a sudden drop of emotion as the author suddenly makes his transition into humanity and reality with the phrase that connects hummingbirds to humans. All of a sudden, your heart feels heavy as you read of heartbreak, sadness, hope, comfort, all at once and you are left with this intense feeling as you envision these images you either pull up from your own experience or create in your own mind. Either way, Doyle does this to symbolize the theme. In life you may be confused and not know what the future holds, but most times you learn as you go along, as you experience with this writing. Life can bring you joy and comfort and fill you with youthful wonder, and then it can hit you hard and you will experience sadness and loss, and your heart will feel pain, but that is the beauty of life. That is why Doyle structured and created his work in the ways described so that one can understand the consequences of having a heart. 

