Anne Bradstreet is known as a prolific poet of 17th century whose work is
             largely based on Puritan theological concepts. Puritan society had its own
             unique set of Christian beliefs, which were slightly harsh compared to
             modern Christian values. For this reason, English writings of this period
             reveal a sense of hopelessness and despondency as far as this worldly life
             is concerned. Material accomplishments were viewed as selfish desires,
             which had to be abandoned if a man sought to achieve happiness in the world
             thereafter. These were some of the common Puritan concepts, which must be
             kept in mind when reading and analyzing Bradstreet's poem, Upon Burning of
             This poem was written in 1666, a time when women were barred from entering
             the world of literature. Thus it was all the more important for female
             writers and poets to adhere to strict Christian beliefs and values in order
             not to infuriate the unyielding Puritan society. For this reason, we notice
             every line of Bradstreet's poem highlighting Puritan theological ideals.
             The poem begins with Bradstreet awakening to the sound of Fire. This fire
             symbolizes the Day of Judgment because like fire, that day would bring an
             end to everything man has. That would be the day when man's worldly
             possessions wouldn't matter, and he would only be worrying about whether or
             not he would be accepted in Heaven. Sound of Fire reminds the poet of her
             real and most important goal in this world as she says, "That fearful sound
             of "fire" and "fire,"/ Let no man know is my Desire." It is her desire to
             work hard not for material goods of this world but the actual ever-lasting
             Bradstreet is exploring a very simple Christian concept in this poem.
             However if the poem is studied in historical context, we can unearth many
             significant messages, which speak volumes about the times of the poet. For
             example, the willingness of the poet to shun this
             ...