The majority of authors, when writing, will hide a deeper meaning within their words. Some do this subconsciously and others do it intentionally. In the case of “Joyas Volardores” by Brian Doyle, it seems that he has written this piece with full intention of implanting a deeper meaning within the text. By looking at “Joyas Volardores” closely and rereading it in depth, we can see the multiple deeper meanings Brian Doyle has hidden within his words and in doing so we can see the multiple situations and methods he goes about using to get his meaning across to the reader.

He begins by going into great detail describing one of the smallest known hearts belonging to the hummingbird. Although the hummingbird’s heart is extremely small it works harder than most larger ones. For example, it beats at about 10 beats per second. They visit a thousand flowers a day and can fly 500 miles without resting. For having a smaller heart, the hummingbird does more than most other animals with substantially larger hearts but they also tend to die younger and have serious heart problems. This is a huge part in the hidden deeper meaning of the text. 

He then proceeds to switch up and bring to point the blue whale, which is the largest known animal in existence with a heart just as massive. The blue whales heart is so big that a child could walk through it standing straight up. The animal is born 20 feet long and grows exponentially once it hits puberty. Although it is the largest animal in the world, we know next to nothing about them. Even with their size, they are extremely hard to keep track of.

The importance of the heart throughout this writing is extremely evident, but the purpose behind why he repeatedly force feeds the heart throughout the entire work is what matters. When talking about the hummingbird and how much it does with such a small heart, he is trying to get a point across. He is trying to show the choice in lifestyle that people have. He says “every living creature has approximately two billion heart beats. You can spend them slow like a tortoise and live to be 200, or you can spend them fast like a hummingbird and live to be 2 years old.”(Doyle, 95) He is trying to emphasize on the importance of how one chooses to live their life. Basically you can live long and boring or you can live fast and exciting, see the world or stay stationary.

He then begins to talk about the differences in hearts throughout different types of animals. How they all have a different number of chambers and sizes, but they’re all the same and they all do more than just pump blood. The heart holds moments, days and lifetimes, but they are all only yours. All in all you are alone with just yourself in the end, but you always have the heartfelt memories in your heart from your whole life. 

The constant referencing of animals and their hearts could also lead toward the author trying to convey his perspective on life as a whole and the obstacles and consequences that we must face as we move through it. In a way he is using the hearts of the animals he references to explain the lives of humans and compare how they are similar.

While speaking about the excellence of the hummingbird, Doyle begins listing all of the great abilities the small bird has. “Each one visits a thousand flowers a day.  They can dive at sixty miles an hour…pausing to rest.” (Doyle, 95) He also mentions how the humming bird will almost burn out and die after exerting itself to such a degree, meaning that the hummingbird’s heart can only take so much punishment before it gives out. Humans are very similar in the fragileness of our hearts, both physically and emotionally. We can be hurt very easily, but we can also withstand a great deal of punishment. How many times has a sudden death in the family seemed like the end, only for some time to pass by and people to gradually go back to everyday lifestyles? 

The reason for this is that creatures can use each other to build up walls of sorts to those things that try to break the heart down.  This can be related to humans very easily. Think of a time when a person was feeling down and alone, and another came to help them up. When that big exam is coming up and you can’t study well for it, there will always be someone there that can come and boost your knowledge upon the subject. Better yet a child cannot reach the top shelf for their cereal, so a parent with all their loving care either picks them up to reach it, supplies a stool, or grabs the cereal for the young child. Without having some sort of companion for the heart one would find that the stresses of living would be unbearable. There will always be some sort of hardship or stress that falls upon the heart. This is why families are built, friends are made, and “the largest hearts in the world” travel in pairs. They ensure that the hearts have that strength, that wall, or shield to keep the heart going.

 After looking at the writing in depth, I have analyzed the multiple deeper meanings Brian Doyle has hidden within his words. It is apparent that he was using his descriptions of the different hearts of the world almost as a metaphor for the human heart and life. The different animals all represent characteristics and feelings that go into what makes up a human being.
