Essay, Research Paper: Puritan Literature

Jake Day
English 10 Honors

Literature has always revealed a great deal about the attitudes and beliefs of different cultures. Puritan authors in the late 17th and early 18th centuries wrote poems, persuasive speeches, stories, and first hand accounts that reveal their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Described especially was the Puritan's deep regard for religion and their fear and love of God.
William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation was written in 1630 as a description of Bradford's experiences in the New World. The main purpose of his account was to persuade those who remained in England to come to America. He described in detail the benefits of religious freedom. Religion played an extremely important role in the lives of early Puritans. Bradford described how God helps the Pilgrims make their way safely across the perilous waters to safety. He wrote: "…they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean…again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth…" Bradford was appealing to the high interest in God's divine intervention amongst the people.
Bradford also described in his documentation the sickness and famine faced by the people and the communal effort to help the suffering. Bradford said: "…in the time of most distress, there was but six or seven sound persons who to their great commendations, be it spoke, spared no pains night or day, but with abundance of toil and hazard of their own health, fetched them wood, made them fires, dressed them meat, made their beds…" This excerpt depicted the Puritans high regard for helping their fellow man. This strong belief in a healthy community was a reflection of their high interest in religion.
Anne Bradstreet was a Puritan writer right around the same time as William Bradford. She was considered the first American writer and wrote several poems meant only for her husband that were later published. Her poems expressed her love for her husband and the overall feelings of love, faithfulness, and fidelity that existed among the Puritan people of the time. In her homespun and lyric poem, "To My Dear and Loving Husband," she wrote: "My love is such that rivers cannot quench, nor ought but love from thee, give recompense."
Jonathan Edwards was a Puritan a short time after Anne Bradstreet and William Bradford. He was of the most powerful and persuasive preachers of his time. In 1741, he delivered his most famous and dynamic speech to a congregation in Enfield, Connecticut. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God was a metaphorical and conceited look at how God views His people and how close they all are to damnation. It was a quintessential piece of writing that showed us the beliefs and traditions of the Puritans. Edwards used powerful words and created vibrant images to take advantage of how fearful the Puritans were to God. "The wrath of God is like great waters that are dammed for the present; they increase more and more, and rise higher and higher…" Bradford wrote in his tirade. He went on to tell the people how close they all were to damnation at the hands of God. Edwards lecture showed us how much the Puritans believed in God and how much they wanted to please Him.
Authors have forever been crucial in depicting the culture, traditions, and beliefs of the people. The works of Anne Bradstreet, William Bradford, and Jonathan Edwards were all instrumental in portraying the lives, attitudes, and values of the early Puritans.