Brian Doyle’s Joyas Voladoras is a book about birds. It is beautifully written and full of interesting facts. I enjoyed reading it and recommend it to anyone who loves birds or wants to learn more about them.
Joyas Voladoras is a work by artist Brian Doyle that depicts humming birds, a whale, worms, and a cat dragging itself into the woods to die. His approach uses a lot of symbols and anthropomorphism in order to capture your attention.
In comparing and contrasting differences and similarities between the Hummingbird, Tortoise, Blue whale, tiny insects, and humans, Doyle discusses love as well as emotion and insecurity. He mentions love as well as happiness; sadness; fears about death; relationships with family members; childhood memories; and the fragility of life.
You can either choose to live a long and passionate life like the tortoise or a short but beautiful life like the hummingbird. It’s up to you. Brian Doyle’s Joyas Voladoras is a book about life and how to live it. He teaches us that every creature on this earth has its own way of living and that we should all find our own way to live too.
In the beginning of the story Doyle reveals the meaning of “Joyas Voladoras”, meaning “Flying Jewels”. He brings to the reader, in vivid detail, the Hummingbird. With each following description, the reader is fed an informative education about this fascinating bird. Doyle describes the humming birds heart by saying that the humming bird has a, “thunderous wild heart the size of an infants fingernail” (147).
Brian Doyle does not just focus on the physicality of the hummingbird, but he also talks about their behaviors. He states that when a male hummingbird is looking for a mate he will, “zoom spectacularly close to her and then fly away again” (148). Brian Doyle uses his gift of words to bring the hummingbird to life on the page so that the reader can feel as if they are right there alongside him, observing these creatures in their natural habitat.
One aspect of Brian Doyle’s writing that I really enjoyed was how he wove together different stories, all while still staying on the topic of birds. He tells tales of a man who was attacked by a swan and also of a woman who had a pet bird that she loved dearly. These stories help to paint a picture of just how important birds are in our lives, even if we don’t always realize it.
He builds up his thoughts, giving the reader a chance to think about them before going into detail on the humming bird’s numerous skills. He claims that humming birds may fly “backwards or [travel] more than five hundred miles without stopping.” (147) “When they rest, though, they approach death.” (147) Doyle is grabbing the reader’s attention and stressing how fragile life is. You might live your entire life without knowing whether today would be your last day on earth.
Brian Doyle’s Joyas Voladoras is a series of interconnected essays that center around the theme of flight. The title essay, “Joyas Voladoras,” is about hummingbirds, and how their seemingly miraculous ability to fly is actually a product of their great fragility. In order to fly, hummingbirds must consume enormous amounts of energy, and as a result they are constantly on the brink of starvation. Their hearts are so large that they often burst, and their wings are so fragile that they can easily be broken.
Despite their fragility, hummingbirds are fierce fighters, and will defend their territory tooth and nail against any intruder. This fierce fighting spirit is what allows them to survive in the hostile environment of the rainforest.
Doyle uses the hummingbird to illustrate the fragility of life, and how even the most delicate creatures can be tough as nails when they need to be. This book is a beautiful and moving tribute to the humbling power of nature.
Like the Hummingbird, “their hearts barely beating.”(147) Doyle references the many variations of Hummingbirds to our own cardiac rhythms. When a humming bird dies, he claims that “each insane heart silenced, a magnificent song died away.”(147) Just as ours.
Brian Doyle captures our imagination and hearts with his Joyas Voladoras. Brian Doyle’s Joyas Voladoras is a collection of essays about birds, but also so much more. Doyle weaves together the lives of hummingbirds, eagles, owls, penguins, and albatrosses to the human experience. He writes about how we are all connected by “the small frail beating heart.”(147)
Doyle’s writing is lyrical and beautiful. He has a way with words that makes you see the world in a different way. He makes you feel the joy and sorrow of life. I laughed out loud at some parts and cried at others. This book is a moving and beautiful tribute to the birds and to life.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves birds or wants to understand them better. It is also a good choice for those who enjoy beautiful writing and unique perspectives.
The significance of the dancing bells may be difficult to appreciate at first. However, given Doyle’s history, I learned that his son was born with only three out of four chambers in his heart. Through this instance, Doyle is attempting to communicate how valuable life is. And by using the hummingbird as a symbol for his experience with his son, he allows us to consider our own existence.
The title Joyas Voladoras, which translates to “flying jewels”, is significant because it represents Brian Doyle’s son and how his life was so fragile. Even though his son had a congenital heart defect, Brian still saw the beauty in him. Brian uses the hummingbird as a metaphor for his son because they are both small and delicate creatures.
Doyle also writes about different types of birds throughout the essay. He starts with the albatross, which is a bird that can live up to sixty years, and then moves on to discuss hummingbirds and sparrows. The albatross is significant because it represents something that is long-lived and has a lot of experience.
In conclusion, Brian Doyle’s Joyas Voladoras is a beautifully written piece that not only educates the reader about birds, but also makes them fall in love with these creatures. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a touching, informative read.
