Wigglesworth's Poems Literary Elements

Almost always first person narration, the narrator acts as teacher

4-8 line stanzas, partly rhymed

In "To the Christian Reader", the narrator references the "riches of Peru", refering to an unimaginable wealth. The narrator uses this metaphor to describe his depth of conviction that not even these riches could stray him from his path.

In "A Short Discourse on Eternity", the narrator uses multiple objects found both on earth and in Christian mythology to compare them to eternity. This series of metaphors is used to show the extreme difference in time and space between the human realm and heaven.

In "Vanity of Vanities", the line "vexing vanities" appears. This usage of an alliteration intensifies the negative meaning and encourages the audience to better themselves.

In "To the Christian Reader", the narrator laments that his fervor in preaching has caused him harm. Ironically this injury now causes him to be less present and have less options to preach, which caused some discontent within his flock.

Puritan poetry

No setting is given, poems often discuss eternity

Sombre and admonishing

The protagonist is the priest, whose sermon helps the audience reach heaven. The antagonist is human nature.

Almost all of his poems have the conflict between the sinful nature of humanity and the strive for heavenly eternity as the major plot element. The poems are written in a fashion that reminds readers of a sermon.
The only outlier would be "To The Christian Reader", where the narrator's will to preach is clashing with his physical inability.

The climax of all of Michael Wigglesworth's poems can be found in the realization that only the proper Puritan lifestyle can help the individual reach heaven.

Similarly to the climax, most of the poetry, especially "The Day of Doom" or "Vanity of Vanities" foreshadow the horrible fate that awaits those that do not follow the proper path.

The sermon like quality and the severity of the topic do not allow for any form of understatement.

Wigglesworth often alludes to specific passages of the bible, for example multiple times in "A Short Discourse on Eternity". These allusions are meant to strengthen his words by showing that they come directly from God.

In "To the Christian Reader", the narrator uses the word pulpit to refer to the whole profession of priesthood.

"Vanity of Vanities" personifies the concepts of beauty, pleasure and riches. In all three cases the narrator uses these desirable concepts and calls them out for their shallowness, their ability to easily corrupt the faithful.

The whole poem "A Short Discourse on Eternity" can be understood as a hyperbole of what eternity is. The narrator uses multiple examples of huge distances and numbers, explaining that all these are nothing compared to eternity.

As a writer of sermons and admonishing poetry, Wigglesworth is not known to use any form of onomatopoeia poetically.