New England Puritan culture and recreation

The Puritan culture of the New England colonies of the seventeenth century was influenced by Calvinist theology, which believed in a "just, almighty God" and a lifestyle that consisted of pious, consecrated actions. The Puritans participated in their own forms of recreational activity, including visual arts, literature, and music. The Puritans were educated and literate, and their culture was broadly based in the arts and languages.

Puritans placed a high value upon personal Bible study and consequently highly valued literacy. They produced a significant collection of literature themselves in three main genres: sermons, diaries, and poetry.

Puritan ministers most commonly used exegesis to preach on passages of scripture, meaning that they strove to base their beliefs and theology directly on the Bible. Their sermons were extensively prepared and memorized, and lasted for roughly an hour in length. Some prominent leaders whose sermons are still extant include Cotton Mather, John Davenport, and Jonathan Edwards.

The Puritans used personal diaries to record the ways in which God was present in their lives and their personal struggles carrying out His purposes. Some Puritans wrote from those personal records to provide accounts of events, with an emphasis on God's intervention in human affairs. William Bradford wrote of the occurrences surrounding the Puritans' arrival at the Americas in Of Plymouth Plantation. Rather than a historical retelling of events, other Puritans kept and published diaries in which they reflected on God's involvement in their own lives.

Puritans were also slightly less known for the poetry that derives from their community. Edward Taylor wrote his own poetry in preparation for weekly Sunday sermons. Taylor spent extensive amounts of time pondering and searching the scriptures to appropriately relay the necessary doctrine to his congregation; in preparation, he wrote poetry correlating to the doctrine he chose to teach. His poetry demonstrates deep compassion and submission to the Lord on a very personal level. Some of Taylor's poetry includes "Psalm Two", "Huswifery", "Upon a Wasp Chilled with Cold", and "Meditation 26".

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