Early literature written by Puritans in America often appeared as first person narratives in the form of journals and diaries. Early American colonists wrote their accounts of immigration, settling in America, and day-to-day life in journals to pass their stories down. Many Puritans also wrote letters to send back to Europe to family and friends they left behind. Very little fiction appeared during this period; Puritans valued realistic writing with an emphasis on religious themes.
Three important Puritan genres included:
Sermons
Historical narrative
Poetry
Puritans held deep religious beliefs based on their own perspective of Christianity. The Bible played an important role in the daily lives of the Puritans. Families attended church regularly and read the Bible in their homes. Due to this influence, most Puritan writing is based on the styles of the Bible. Puritans compared their own lives to biblical narratives and events and compared themselves to biblical characters to illustrate points.
Puritans lived a simple life based on the concepts of humility and simplicity. This influence comes from their religious beliefs and the Bible. Wearing elaborate clothing or having conceited thoughts offended Puritans. Puritan writing mimics these cultural values in its plain writing style. Puritans wrote directly to the point, and avoided much of the eleborate writing style that became popular in Europe. Simple sentences with common language allowed Puritans to communicate information without feeling like they were drawing attention to themselves.
Puritans wrote with specific purposes in mind. Even the letters they wrote to friends and family in Europe performed more of a purpose than simply communicating about their lives and keeping in touch. Puritans' religious beliefs affected their lives on all levels, and their writing illustrated their religion's values, such as the importance of the church and the influence of God in their lives. Writing often became instructive, teaching Christian values. The Puritans did not believe that literature was for entertainment; therefore, they frowned upon "entertainment" genres such as drama (plays) and fiction novels.
