




Author Brian Doyle writes Joyas Volardores as an analysis of the many different hearts in the animal kingdom, however, he utilizes the form and content to create a piece of literature that enhances the meaning being conveyed to a higher echelon, arguably impossible by words alone. Doyle is constantly pointing out that it is not about how many heartbeats animals or humans have, but it is about how those heartbeats are used and what is achievable in a lifetime with the gift of life. This point is constantly being conveyed through the syntax (the arrangement of words or phrases) or the form of the text through choppy sentences, run-on sentences, and repetition. By analyzing the syntax of Doyle’s work an interpretation can be developed through an understanding of the impact of form and content. Looking at the form and content, we can see that Doyle uses the syntax of his work to enhance the message being conveyed in the text, which most people do not see; this is important because it stresses the author’s point about life, something incomprehensible without analyzing form and content.

Doyle begins his piece of literature about the heartbeat of a hummingbird and all its crisp characteristics. The hummingbird is thoroughly evaluated – the reader learns about the history of hummingbirds, the size of a hummingbird, and the features of the hummingbird’s heart. All throughout this in-depth description, Doyle describes the hummingbird with short, choppy sentences, “Consider the hummingbird for a long moment. A hummingbird’s heart beats ten times a second. A hummingbird’s heart is the size of a pencil eraser” (Doyle 94). It is easy to read over these sentences quickly without much consideration, but at a second glance, the short sentences divided by a mark of punctuation seem to be depicting the heartbeat of a hummingbird. The hummingbird’s heartbeat seems to come to life, especially when evaluating the connections made by the form and context. Doyle purposefully utilizes the syntax of the text to give the reader a close perception of what it is like to feel the heart of a hummingbird and experience its short bursts of life. By connecting the hummingbird through both form and content, the reader can begin to see that there is a deeper message Doyle is writing that lays beneath the text.

Another instance that brings insight to the significance of form and content in Joyas Volardores is the run-on sentences present throughout the text. Run-on sentences are a clear mistake in most written texts and can easily be edited and fixed, however, Doyle uses these unconventional errors to further emphasize his message about hearts and the beauty of life they offer. The author places the run-on sentences periodically throughout the text, teasing the reader of their importance, “When young we think there will come one person who will savor and sustain us always…” (Doyle 96). Going beyond the rules of standard English, the author is able to concisely hint at his utilization of syntax. The form of the long sentences that never seem to end are an imitation of heartbeats and their seemingly endless percussion that show no stopping; neither day or night, the heart beats until the end. Just as the run-on sentences appear never-ending, the reader must know they end at some point – just as our own heartbeat seems infinite with no end in sight, we must come to the realization that there is a punctual end for everyone and everything. Once the reader realizes there is an end eventually, life becomes all the more special and it is truly up to the reader to choose how they spend their limited time. Doyle never directly states this realization; it is hidden in the unconventional syntax; without the deep analysis of the form and content the reader could never see that Doyle is stressing the importance of what can be done with the gift of life.

 Short and speedy sentences or lengthy run-on sentences are not the only technique being used in Joyas Volardores, there is a key repetition of the word “heart” that is reoccurring throughout the text. Although hearts are the subject of the story and it may be thought that the word should naturally occur numerously, an in-depth analysis gives insight that Doyle purposefully sprinkles the word “heart” to create a repetition key to the whole literature. The hearts come together so create a heartbeat in the text, making the text come alive, “So much held in a heart in a lifetime” (Doyle 96). The word seems to be creating a rhythmic heartbeat in the written text that parallels the heartbeat of real organisms. There is only a limited number of hearts that can be used in the text, just like there is a limit to how much time each individual has, with each day moving forward can also be seen as a step toward the inevitable end. The rhythmic beating of the heart is easy to miss, however, once interpreted the reader cannot separate themselves from the repetition that is existent in almost every sentence of the literature. 

Doyle successfully uses the form and content to enhance his literature, creating artificial heartbeats and mimicking the heartbeats of life. When accessing all three examples of the author’s specific syntax, it can be seen that Doyle is expressing the importance of life and how everything is achievable because of the heart. Without the analysis of the form and content, perhaps it could never be conceived that Doyle is cleverly enhancing his work with sly hints, demonstrated by the principles of syntax. Just as form and function are a reoccurring theme in the anatomical analyzation of physical hearts, we can see there is a parallel in writing that the form and content of literature can tell much more than what’s presumed at first sight. Looking at the form and content across literature, we can see that authors use syntax to enhance the meaning in their work, which most people do not see; important to close readings of written texts because it stresses the significance of analyzing form and content in literature.


