Explicit accounts of hellfire and damnation may not be hallmarks of contemporary popular novels, but America's first bestseller it was full of such shocking images. Graphic illustrations of the Christian faith's Judgment Day saturate Michael Wigglesworth's poem, "The Day of Doom." Published in 1662, this piece is the centerpiece of his anthology of the same title, which includes three additional religious poems. New England readers devoured the first edition; historians estimate that one in thirty-five American families owned a copy of Wigglesworth's book in the 1660s. The poem was written in direct accordance with the most intimidating passages of the Bible and reports the frightening consequences of the end of the world. Contemporary readers may find it strange that such a disturbing literary work was so popular. However, the severity of Wigglesworth's poetry was embraced in its time. Considering this text in its historical context, it is evident that the motifs, effects, cultural perspectives, and symbols demonstrated are products of the Puritan worldview prevalent in the 17th century. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The poem is written as a Christian narrative of the Day of Judgment. Filled with verses taken directly from the Bible, the reader is given a guided chronological tour of the events that could occur when God comes to Earth and presents Armageddon. Wigglesworth begins by describing the serenity of the Earth before God's intervention: "Yet it was the night, clear and bright, / When all Men slept lay; / Calm was the season, and carnal reason / Thought it would so endure forever " (Norton, 293). The verses describe ignorant sinners, immersed in the luxuries of sin and unaware of their impending doom. The poem then takes a shocking turn as it describes the sudden appearance of God. The night turns into a dazzling day and the people find themselves faced with their Creator and Judge. God's voice comes as a noise greater than thunder, and the most powerful men in the land cower in submissive fear. The sea rises and the animals die. There's no place to hide. The climax of the poem describes the horror of the Judgment. God rejects sinners' pleas for mercy and condemns them to the eternal lake of fire. The tortures suffered by sinners are described in gruesome detail: "Their pain and sorrow have no relief, / Their anguish never ends. / There they must lie and never die, / Though they die every day" (Norton, 306 ). To counter such horror, the reader is reminded of the pleasures of Paradise and the place of the righteous. The greatest reward for the pious is the honor of meeting God and experiencing His tangible love. Wigglesworth expresses this clearly: "O glorious place! Where face to face / Jehovah may be seen /? / For God above in arms of love / embraces them tenderly" (Norton, 307-308). The poem ends poignantly on this happy note, with an image of the saints and angels rejoicing in the damnation of sinners and living eternally in the love of God. Wigglesworth provides this captivating depiction of Doomsday as religious testimony. As a Puritan minister in Massachusetts, he saw firsthand the growing pervasiveness of sin and ungodliness in the New World. He created his poetry to inspire people to resume godly lifestyles and escape apostasy. If he could make readers fear the wrath of a judgmental God, then he couldmotivate them to live in accordance with the Puritan church and the literal Word of God. The poem rewards piety and punishes transgression by illustrating the consequences. The influence of this religious function on poetry is evident in his language. Wigglesworth's words are specifically designed to elicit fear. He creates vivid images of the hellish fate of sinners: “With iron bands they bind their hands, / and cursed feet together, / And cast them all, great and small, / into that lake forever” (Norton, 306). The tone of the poem is paradoxically threatening and paternal. While there is clearly a dose of intimidation and warning, the poem also promises salvation for those who obey. The righteous will receive eternal life and escape such a fiery fate. The poem expresses the joy of this salvation throughout the final stanzas and promises the righteous that “their old anguish and heaviness / are gone like dreams” (Norton, 308). Your personal interpretation of the poem, therefore, would depend on how devout you thought you were living a lifestyle. The poem's overwhelming popularity suggests that most New Englanders considered themselves among the righteous. and the threatening tone only strengthened their faith. The rhyme and meter of the poem are also effects of Wigglesworth's religious motivations. The poem is constructed using octets with an alternating rhyme scheme. By using a melodic rhythm, the poem is more memorable. Both adults and children memorized the poem throughout its reign of popularity; it became an oral tradition as well as a famous literary work. Wigglesworth designed his poem to have the same aesthetic value as a church sermon (Hammond, n.p.), emitting both a sing-song quality and believability. Wigglesworth's poetry reveals many cultural perspectives of the New England Puritans. For the Puritans, every aspect of life was directly related to religion. The importance of piety could not be underestimated. Concentrated in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Puritans found opportunities in the New World that were not available in England. Their campaign to purify the Church of England had lost momentum after the Restoration, so settling in America offered the Puritans the chance to rule by theocracy. Only the most devout Christians could vote or govern, although all citizens were encouraged to become members of the church. This emphasis on religious goodness is the backbone of Wigglesworth's work. His poetry is, essentially, an actualization of faith. It embodies key aspects of the “fire and brimstone” faith that was Puritanism. Another cultural perspective of Puritan Christianity is revealed by the moral of Wigglesworth's story: every individual has the opportunity to be saved. America is as much the land of religious opportunity as it is the land of economic or colonial opportunity. The poem tells its readers that God will not tolerate the excuses of ignorance and that only those who are righteous during their earthly life will be offered the prize of eternal bliss in Heaven. The poem quotes a judgmental God saying, "You had a season, what was the reason / such precious hours to waste? / What could you find, what would you mind / that was of greater haste?" (Norton, 301). The warning here is clear: there will be no time for excuses when doomsday arrives. The Puritans wholeheartedly sought to spread God's threat by witnessing to others. Indeed, Wigglesworth's poetry is a method of bearing witness to unbelievers. Puritans considered themselves God's chosen people and believed they were responsible for the salvation of sinners. They loved the Old Testament and believed that they were the elect who wouldestablished Paradise on Earth: the New Jerusalem. The New World was the landscape of this paradise. England had failed them, but the New World would prevail. Some literary criticism has evolved into hypothesizing that the Puritans believed themselves to be the contemporary counterparts of the Old Testament Jews. Like Moses, who saved the Israelites from Egyptian captivity by parting the Red Sea, Puritan leaders saved righteous Christians from English corruption. The Puritans, like Moses, had crossed a great sea and were establishing a theocratic government (VanSpanckeren, np). This ideology is reflected in Wigglesworth's text. The moral of the story is that the opportunity for salvation exists. The Christian lifestyle could save from the corruption of other churches and the vices of a sinful life. In this sense, the Puritans personified themselves as Christ-like saviors. The Puritan experience of America can be subtly seen between the lines of this poem. Ambitious goals were in motion when the Puritans flooded Massachusetts. The theocratic government they established was an admirable ambition, but these fallible men soon fell from grace. “Perfect” government has slipped from excellence. The Puritans had to find a way to enforce the rules of the Church and, by proxy, the State. They needed to keep their church members on the right path and maintain order in the government. To do this, they had to remind the people of God's threat: "Christ should condemn the sons of men, / which is their just desert" (Norton, 303). Wigglesworth accomplished this feat with his literary works. “The Day of Doom” was more than a great story or biblical supplement; it was a way to structure society in the best interests of Puritan leaders. The state was new and insecure, but rules based on religion could help cement a church hierarchy in government. Wigglesworth's text played a crucial role in structuring Puritan government. The New World, called America, was more than a vast expanse of land. It was also more than an ideal new home for ambitious settlers. America was a symbol. In the eyes of Puritan leaders it symbolized the opportunity for the creation of a theocratic state. More abstractly, America was the symbolic virgin. This new land was untouched by the white man and was not penetrated by the corruption of the Church of England. There were still many resources to be explored by the metaphorical Christian hand. America was occupied by a group of supposed savages, perceived by the Puritans as potential converts. The New World was just as the name suggested: new, unscathed, and virginal. But when Europeans made the country their new home, the phantom sins of the Old World weakened the virtue of the New World. It was imperative that the Puritans restore the righteousness of the holy country by returning the people to holy lifestyles. Wigglesworth's writings did just that. They provided the right motivation for conversion and reaffirmation. They pushed the faithful to reconsider their way of life and to reaffirm their faithful fear of God. Wigglesworth's text helped promote the aspiration of Puritanism. They theorized that by purifying the Church, the Society would follow suit and hopefully all non-believers would turn to righteousness. This puritanical perspective is the very essence of "The Day of Doom" and Wigglesworth has undoubtedly influenced many lives through his literature. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Examining "The Day of Doom" in the appropriate historical framework, it can be concluded that the illustrated motives, consequences, values ​​and symbols are>