The early American poems "Huswifery" and "Upon the Burning of Our House," although similar in many ways, also have very distinct qualities to them. Edward Taylor and Anne Bradstreet use comparable styles, themes, and structures, possibly because they had the same cultural and religious heritage...

During the peak of Puritan ideology, the people strived for the warmth and relief of God's grace. Their numerous sacrifices determined what kind of people they were, and how much faith in God they possessed. Puritan literature reflects the desire for grace because the citizens of the colonial age b...