Michael Wigglesworth was a 17th-century American poet and minister, born in 1631 in England. He is best known for his work "The Day of Doom," published in 1662, which is one of the earliest and most significant poems in American literature. This poem reflects the Puritan beliefs of the time, focusing on themes of sin, judgment, and salvation. Wigglesworth graduated from Harvard College in 1651 and later became a prominent figure in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He served as a minister in Malden, Massachusetts, where he was known for his sermons and writings that conveyed the religious sentiments of the Puritan community.