John Milton lived in a period of significant changes that were taking place in England. Paradise Lost is a reflection of that period. In order to understand the poem fully, it is important to take into account these events. First, God is an allusion to the monarch while Heaven is the depiction of the degradation of the monarchy. God sacrifices everything with almost no regrets while making his sacrifices in a very pompous way. Secondly, the conquest of the New World is also revealed as Satan tries to win new territories and make them his new kingdom. Finally, Adam and Eve had to defend their right to believe and have their faith is the allusion to the changes that were apparent in the religious life of England. People were choosing their own faith as they could be Puritans, Anglicans, or even Catholics.
Anne Bradstreet also lived in the 17th century, but she left England to go to the New World. Her poetry reveals the aspects associated with living in the new community. She was a Puritan, which affected her life and worldview considerably. One of the emerging themes in her poetry was the role of a woman in society. Bradstreet lived in the times when women were regarded as inferior to men, which made them confined to their households and families. The poet tried to question this norm in her poetry. The Puritan society was associated with the focus on duty and serving God. These views make Bradstreet’s poems rather provocative as she confessed in a deep love for her husband. It was also essential for Puritans to have strong faith in God and endure all the difficulties of life in the New World as a lesson from God. Again, Bradstreet often revealed her doubts concerning the value of life after death if the earthly life is so miserable.