Throughout the poem, Joyas Voladores, Brian Doyle uses metaphors to comment on how we as humans live and love. When Doyle is comparing the hummingbird and tortoise heartbeat speed, he is explaining there are different ways to live your life. Doyle is expressing very strongly on how human life is so precious in this passage.  When Doyle is talking about the whales, he uses them to bring in the topic of love. Just the significance of the hummingbird tells you throughout the passage, Doyle is expressing life. However, he uses these type of heart images to set the tone in telling about each animal. When he is explaining the hummingbird, he tells us how the heart is “as small as a pencil sharpener.”  When he explains the whale, he says “it’s as big as a room.” He compares the hearts in all different ways even when he goes on to the mammals and the birds, reptiles and turtles, fish, insects and mollusks, worms, unicellular bacteria, and humans. He is in my opinion, comparing humans and animals with the comparing of hearts. Also, he is telling us there are more than two types of people in this world. Throughout the passage, he utilizes the hearts by comparing them with animals. He uses words in this passage as well to explain what he is saying and what he is trying to get to. His word usage is different by the way he uses them. “waaaaay”, is one that stands out because when he is explaining in the sentence how the whale heart is “waaaaay” bigger than a car. Whenever you see this word usage, it helps you better understand and get the picture of how big a whale heart is. He uses the metaphors, the comparing of humans and animals and his word usage very good to help the reader understand what may be going on and to better understand the passage.

When Doyle is talking about the hummingbird, he is talking about in a vivid point in how the human heart compares to the hummingbird. The hummingbird is expressed as a jewel. In the view of a hummingbird being a jewel, you can also think of a person who is admired or driven by their heart. Take athletes for an example, they are the type of people that are very driven by their heart because they have to have passion for the sport they play. Also, a person who loves life and is driven by their heart to keep doing things to love life even more. The hummingbird in this passage is a great example because even though their hearts are so small, nothing stops them or takes their motivation away. As well with the human, there are small human beings in this world but nothing stops them. That is why the hummingbird is great to compare to a human. Some even look at a hummingbird as a jewel, as though they would look at a human. “flying jewels” (94)  Humans look at other humans and think that they are beautiful or a master piece at how they would look at a hummingbird. 

Doyle goes on to talk about the whale, he expresses how the whale has a huge heart, “it weighs more than seven tons. It is as big as a room”, (95) he is comparing it to a human with a big heart. Saying someone is very caring or loving. Someone that is down to earth and just nice in all ways possible. The whale is an animal that has these same characteristics, it is an animal that stays to itself and does not bother anything. When Doyle is telling about the whale, he is saying no matter your size, height, color, you are still loved no matter what. You have a purpose just like the next one sitting beside you. He brings up the whale to bring up the topic about love because it does not matter who you are, in some way shape or form you are loved and loved for being who you are.

In the next paragraph, Doyle tells us about the mammals and the birds, reptiles and turtles, fish, insects and mollusks, worms, and the unicellular bacteria. In this paragraph he is expressing that there are more than two kinds of people in this world. In the world you have several different kinds of people. That is not a bad thing to have because everyone is not made to fit in with everyone. You have people that are their own people as well as the ones that have to be center of attention. That is where there are more than two different type of people. Not everyone is made to be the same exact or have the same friends. 

Doyle then goes into how your heart can be broken and it is easy to close up your heart and shut everyone out. Also, being alone in the end is not always a negative thing. Yes, it hurts to get your heart broken and be alone but in the end you will always have yourself to count on. Even though your heart can be broken and you close up your heart, sometimes it is better to look at the bigger picture. You are still alive with a beating heart. 

When Doyle is putting the heart images in our head, he is showing us that there is so much to love and how precious our lives are as human beings. He compares the animal to the human being because no matter what you are, your heart is a wonderful and very powerful thing. 

Doyle expressions the heart in many different ways and uses the meaning of it by comparing the human and the animal. Even with the usage of word choices he uses, he paints the picture in your head. It is very impressive how he connects to the human and the animal with the expressions of hearts and explaining them. Also, how he expresses life throughout the passage and how precious it is by using animals. Life is a beautiful thing and we as human are very blessed to be a live with a beating heart. Doyle did a great job of pointing that out in his passage, Joyas Volardores.  

We as humans are comparable to the animal simply through our hearts and that is a very powerful thing. 