Anthology - Essay Example

It mostly revolved around serious topics / discussions as the puritans believed perceived life as an unremitting moral struggle. The Puritan American literature was realistic and attempted to represent life in its true form. As is evident from the works of the famous author William Bradford, ‘the truth’ was described in the simplest form and in a plain style. His primary works include, Hisory of Plymouth, Mourt’s Relation and William Bradford – the collected verses, and also wrote several letters and articles.

The plain style of writing was used as the Puritans viewed the adornment and creative use of language un biblical. Many scholars argue that the plain style of writing could be attributed to the lack of skilled writers during those times, as most of the writers were literate and well qualified. Another scholar and author of those times, Cotton Mater is also renowned for his exceptional and distinct style of writing and hence, heralded as the most impressive exemplar of the Renaissance Man in American Puritanism.

Religious disputes and Puritanism were the most common topics of writings in the pre colonial American Literature which is discussed further in the paper. Bradford’s most significant work about the Plymouth Plantation is a description of the activities of the Puritans during the colonial period. His works reflect the anxieties he experienced about the spiritual welfare of the colonists that is reminiscent of those times. The journal “Of Plymouth Plantation” is, by far, some of the best works in ancient history of American Literature.

Written in a plain style, it could be distinctly associated with the Puritan writing as opposed to the highly ornamented prose characteristic of the Renaissance writers. His journal - “Of Plymouth Plantation”, is a series of articles written over a period of 35 years, contains description of the activities of the Puritans during the period 1621 – 1626. The religious