The Day Of Doom

The Day of Doom, Michael Wigglesworth's epic poem about the Last Judgement, might well be called the most popular book ever written in America. At least twelve editions sold out in the century after its original publication in 1662. Early settlers revered it, holding it second only to the Bible, and school children memorized it from start to finish. However, The Day of Doom also bears the dubious distinction of being the most violently criticized and willfully ignored work of American poetry. Here, then, is a great enigma of early American literature, based on the 1701 edition, with a thought provoking introduction.