Didactic means, in brief, "to teach." Didacticism is the instructiveness of a work, the purpose of which is to give guidance in moral, ethical and/or religious matters. Didactic works have as their ultimate effect or meaning outside the work itself and the realms of art proper. The lesson conveyed is more important than the work conveying the lesson. If didacticism is carried too far, it is in danger of subverting the object of art or literature to lesser and ignoble purposes. The early Puritan works are more didactic than literary so such "subverting" is not of great concern.