Michael Wigglesworth – 1631-1705

Wigglesworth immigrated from England to America in 1638, graduated from Harvard College, and began preaching in Massachusetts in 1653. He wrote rhymed poetry expounding Puritan doctrine, the most famous of which was the book-length ballad The Day of Doom: or a Poetical Description of the Great and Last Judgment (1662), a horrific evocation of Judgment Day, which became a popular sensation in the British-American colonies and was the first American bestseller.