 Often times it can be difficult for a reader to get the intended meaning out of a passage. In “Joyas Volardores” by Brian Doyle, through close reading, the reader will notice many different words, patterns, and devices that all lead to a better understanding of the passage. Doyle uses these devices as a way to make this passage an experience to read. He hooks us with words that inspire creative thinking and leaves the reader craving more at the end of every paragraph. Doyle wrote each paragraph in a way that flows and causes the reader to have questions that can only be answered by the next paragraph. Doyle uses contrast between the animals to emphasize his message that every action taken in a lifetime is a risk, and in doing so he demonstrates that although individual expression and action is part of life, it comes at a cost. 

A major recurring device Doyle uses is contrast. Doyle says, “A hummingbird’s heart is the size of an eraser… The biggest heart in the world is the blue whale. It weighs more than seven tons. It’s as big as a room.”(94-95) This quote is the epitome of size difference. These two animals are almost as far apart in mass as it gets. This is important to understand because Doyle wants the reader to see the contrast and think about how astronomically different in weight the two hearts are. This use of contrast is intended to show the reader that the meaning of the passage is universal across all sizes and all animals. That idea is key in understanding the author's message. Doyle wants the reader to realize that hearts can be different sizes but all hearts tick and beat the same. Another purpose for the contrast Doyle uses is to show that as humans we all have the same hearts anatomically, and eventually all of our hearts stop beating. But we all build up different walls to protect ourselves that are all broken down in the same way, by the risky actions we take that leave our hearts susceptible to attack. 

One word that stuck out when reading the passage closely was the word ‘chamber’. This word seemed irrelevant until the end of the passage. The word chamber is frequently used towards the end of the passage. Doyle says, “ Mammals and birds have hearts with four chambers. Reptiles and birds have hearts with three chambers. Fish have hearts with two chambers…. No living being is without interior liquid motion. We all churn inside.”(96) This quote is now Doyle’s way of connecting all of the metaphors and comparisons he used into one meaningful point. Being that this quote is towards the end of the passage shows that Doyle wants the reader to visualize all the different living beings he mentioned and connect them by one word. Chambers. Essentially that is the connection. Although a hummingbird’s heart is the size of a pencil eraser and a blue whale's heart weighs upwards of seven tons, they are still the same in a way. They are still the motor that churns everyday to make life a possibility. He uses this idea as a way to create the contrast that was aforementioned, but not create further distance but instead bring them together. Although the blue whale is massive in comparison to the hummingbird that whale still has a certain number of heartbeats in its life and it takes a risk every time energy is expended making the heart go faster.

A key pattern in the passage is the idea of risk, which is placed into the passage in a very sly way. Doyle talks about the hummingbird and how it has a tiny heart that goes from moving faster than a human can hear to a near halt. But hidden in that section is the sentence “It’s expensive to fly. You burn out. You fry the machine.”(95) This quote is key because it shows the reader in a hidden sense that it is dangerous to take the risk and fly. It is dangerous to take those big risks that make your heart race. Doyle means it is dangerous to ask that girl on a date because you can get your heart broken. He also makes the reader think, are all of those extra beats worth it, just to find out if your heart will be rewarded? Either way the reader can see that everyone takes risks but it’s costly to fly, just like the hummingbird the human heart can get worn out too. Nevertheless, in life we live with extravagance and Doyle reminds us of this. The idea of risk is placed into the passage to make sure the reader knows that every heart has so many ticks, and certain feelings and actions make those ticks go by faster. So make sure those feelings and actions are worth it. 

The idea of risk also plays another crucial part in Doyle’s analysis. It is the idea of individual expression and action. Doyle harps on that fact that as animals, humans just like blue whales and hummingbirds have a limited number of heartbeats. (95) This analysis is of course is on more of a theoretical level than a biological level but it is still valid. Humans and animals engage in risky behavior everyday but it is not felt in the heart even though it is in fact taking a toll on it. Everyday the heart sees benefit at the hands of the individual but everyday it also sees negatives. Now a person could block out all the negatives by never taking risks but is that really a life? Doyle invites the reader to think about this point as they go through the essay. Yes it is entirely possible for someone to avoid all other humans at the risk of having their heart injured but at the same time a person takes risks in order to have their heart rewarded. Doyle shows the reader that any action is a risk; it’s just up to the individual to determine if they want to take the chance of being hurt for the chance of being rewarded.

Doyle’s writing in the passage “Joyas Volardores”, is inspirational and also an experience for the reader. Every single human has a heart, and it is true that no matter who the reader is they can relate to the lesson being taught. We all eventually are hurt by something and our heart gets broken all because of the risky actions we take. But at the same time Doyle reminds us that our hearts are rewarded just the same, as they are hurt. A lifetime is a rollercoaster of positives and negatives for a human heart. Although animals might not have the same relationship he also reminds the reader that like a human a hummingbird’s heart and a blue whale’s heart go through a different type of turbulence also. Everything, in the end gets connected in the passage. Doyle leaves us with “So much held in a heart in a lifetime.”(96) It’s all about making every beat count.
