Joyas Volardores, written by Brian Doyle, is an extremely thought provoking piece of writing, in which many different meanings can be extracted from. By constantly using the heart as a dominant symbol throughout the essay, Doyle poses an underlying theme of heartbreak. He demonstrates said theme by comparing a heart the size of an infant’s fingernail, to that which weighs seven tons. Such comparisons allow one to notice the many recurring differences, yet an overpowering key similarity between all hearts in all creatures. Doyle suggests that no matter the size of the heart, it is inevitable for it to become broken.

Joyas Volardores, or, flying jewels, is a term coined by the first white explorers to describe the beautiful, unique creature that is the hummingbird. Doyle introduces that even though they are slight in size, they live their lives in a rather eager manner. This becomes evident in the seventh line of the third paragraph when he states, “The price of their ambition is a life closer to death,” (Doyle, 95). By this description, one can infer that Doyle understands the fact that their ambition can subsequently lead to their downfall. In other words, their openness and active involvement in the world that surrounds them can ultimately yield to vulnerability and failure. Through such statements, he makes it clear that even the smallest of hearts are extremely susceptible to both pain and heartbreak. Similarly, Doyle then expresses, “It’s expensive to fly. You burn out. You fry the machine. You melt the engine,” (Doyle, 95). This illustrates the price that comes with living the life of a hummingbird.

When Doyle institutes the choice of approaching each new day similar to that of a tortoise, or to that of a, “flying jewel”, this concept is further grasped and understood. A person can either consistently seize the moment and live only two years like a hummingbird, or approach life at a slower pace and live for two hundred years like a tortoise. Doyle suggests that neither path will necessarily lead you astray from the eventual heartbreak, but will simply guide you down different routes to end up at the same final destination. However, he warns that if you do chose to take risks and steer your life in the direction of a hummingbird, you will essentially, “fry the machine.” In saying this, he implies that living life at such a fast pace, can take a toll on the heart. Within such a short and ambitious life span, many experiences can still be had, and many relationships established. However, if one does not slow down to cherish certain important moments and personal connections, it will be far too late. This fact leads into yet another underlying theme that Doyle wishes to establish with the reader. The concept that speeding through life and not living in the moment, causes the inevitability of heartbreak to occur sooner rather than later.

Transitioning from the trivial heart of a hummingbird, to that which is the largest on our planet earth, Doyle introduces the reader to the Blue Whale. “Their penetrating moaning cries, their piercing yearning tongue, can be heard for miles and miles,” (Doyle, 96). When Doyle illustrates these penetrating moaning cries, he does so with a strong negative connotation. This negativity appears to be parallel with heartbreak. He exhibits this connection by introducing the only real fact researchers know about the Blue Whale, which is that these mysterious ginormous creatures tend to travel in pairs. He makes a point to include said information, to demonstrate that the Blue Whales, and the massive hearts they have, desire companionship. Without the comfort that stems from these types of relationships, the creature cries out and can be heard for miles on end. By Doyle relating distance to heartbreak, one understands that even the largest of hearts are not immune to pain.

In the final stages of his essay, Joyas Volardores, Doyle introduces his analysis on heartbreak relating to the most familiar heart, that of a human. “You can brick up your heart as stout and tight as you can and down it comes in an instant,” (Doyle, 96). Through choosing the verb, “brick,” Doyle is attempting to represent the defense mechanism humans retreat towards when dealing with the disappointment of love. However, he makes clear the inevitability of it ultimately becoming damaged by declaring, “…down it comes in an instant,” in reference to the “wall.” Doyle then presents the fact that, unlike the hummingbird or Blue Whale, the human heart has a higher sense of awareness; essentially, a fear of such agonizing pain that comes along with the perception of heartbreak. This becomes clear in the fifth line of the final paragraph when he states, “When young we think there will come one person who will savor and sustain us always; when we are older we know this is the dream of a child, that all hearts finally are bruised and scarred, scored and torn, repaired by time and will,” (Doyle, 96). These two quotes pulled from the text further exemplify the idea that no matter how hard one may attempt and no matter the size of the heart, neither pain nor anguish can be avoided.

All hearts, in all creatures, throughout all different time zones in our massive and complex world, ultimately succumb to the agony of heartbreak. Doyle represents this belief  throughout the entirety of his essay, Joyas Volardores. He makes it clear that a hummingbird encompassing the heart the size of a pencil eraser, experiences heartbreak through its fast paced lifestyle. He also exclaims that Blue Whales become inflicted when companionship and comfort are lost. Finally, Doyle states that humans possessing a higher sense of awareness, attempt to escape the feeling all together. However, no matter how hard we try to avoid such a pain staking feeling, the heart will ultimately break.
