This essay examines the poetry of three prominent American Puritan writers — Michael Wigglesworth, Edward Taylor, and Anne Bradstreet — identifying both the common religious foundation and the significant stylistic differences among them. The paper analyzes Wigglesworth's fire-and-brimstone sermonic verse in "The Day of Doom," Taylor's more literary and personally reflective approach in "Upon Wedlock, and Death of Children," and Bradstreet's neoclassical sensibility and attention to social life in "The Prologue" and "Verses upon the Burning of our House." Rhyme schemes, tone, purpose, and thematic range are compared across all three poets.
Michael Wigglesworth, Edward Taylor, and Anne Bradstreet can all be classified as American Puritan poets. God makes an appearance in nearly every poem penned by each of these three writers. Yet the poetry of Wigglesworth, Taylor, and Bradstreet differs significantly as well. Bradstreet exhibits neoclassical trends, especially in poems such as "The Prologue," in which the poet refers directly to the Greeks: "shure the ancient Greeks were far more mild." In "The Prologue," Bradstreet also mentions figures from Greek mythology and literature like Calliope. Edward Taylor's poetry is far more Christian in nature and imagery; the first line of "Upon Wedlock, and Death of Children" is "A Curious Knot God made in Paradise." Equally religious are the poems of Michael Wigglesworth, who makes ample Biblical references in his poem "The Day of Doom." Wigglesworth, Taylor, and Bradstreet represent the common elements in Puritan writing, but each presents the Puritan poetry traditions in their own way.
The poetry of Wigglesworth is steeped in the literal doom and gloom of the Puritan worldview. "The Day of Doom" captures the fear of God that Puritans valued so deeply. The poem is filled with imagery related to the Day of Judgment: "Now Atheist blind, whose brutish mind / a God could never see, / Dost thou perceive, dost now believe, / that Christ thy Judge shall be?" (stanza 8). Wigglesworth's work is written in a rhythm and rhyme scheme that is almost childlike, as the poet attempts to create an easily memorizable collection of verses suitable for Christian indoctrination. Wigglesworth was, after all, a Puritan minister. The goal of "The Day of Doom" is to instill fear of Judgment into the "Flock of Lambs" that comprises his congregation (stanza 25). "All Sound Believers (Gospel Receivers) / whose Grace was small, but grew" appeals to those whose hearts might be straying from the church. Wigglesworth takes it upon himself to use the medium of poetry, with a rigid rhythm and rhyme scheme, to remind his congregation of core Puritan values.
In "Upon Wedlock, and Death of Children," Edward Taylor also offers all glory to God. However, Taylor's poem is not constructed as a sermon in the way Wigglesworth's is. Taylor's poetry is in some ways more purely literary in form and function than Wigglesworth's, which comes across as pedantic and brimming with the fervor of a church minister. Although Taylor was also a pastor, he did not exhibit the same animated tone in his poetry as Wigglesworth does. Taylor likewise came from a Puritanical perspective, and God remains central to his writing. Taylor's poetry does employ a rhyme scheme, though one that is not as regular or nursery-like as Wigglesworth's. In "Upon Wedlock, and Death of Children," the rhyme scheme is generally ABABCC. While the length of stanzas does not vary in Wigglesworth's "The Day of Doom," the stanzas are of varying size in Taylor's poem.
"Bradstreet's classical references, gender roles, and daily life"
Wigglesworth, Taylor, and Bradstreet represent the common elements in Puritan writing, but each presents the Puritan poetry traditions in their own way.
You’re 72% through this paper. Sign up to read the remaining 1 section.
Sign Up Now — Instant Access Already a member? Log inAlways verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.