Delve into the Poetry's Inner Workings: The Well-Wrought Urn by Cleanth Brooks

Unveil the intricate structures and hidden meanings within poems with The Well-Wrought Urn by Cleanth Brooks. Considered a cornerstone of New Criticism, this influential work delves into close readings of ten celebrated poems, spanning the Elizabethan era to the early 20th century.

Brooks meticulously dissects each poem, revealing the techniques and devices that contribute to its power and meaning. He guides readers through a nuanced analysis of elements like:

Irony and Paradox: How seemingly contradictory elements create depth and complexity.
Imagery and Symbolism: How figurative language unlocks layers of meaning beyond the literal.
Structure and Form: How the arrangement of words and stanzas shapes the poem's impact.
The Well-Wrought Urn is not merely a collection of analyses; it's a call to action. Brooks passionately argues against paraphrase as a valid approach to poetry. He encourages readers to engage directly with the text, appreciating the poem's internal workings and how they contribute to the overall experience.

The book features in-depth examinations of poems by renowned authors such as:

John Donne
William Shakespeare
John Milton
Robert Herrick
Alexander Pope
Thomas Gray
William Wordsworth
John Keats
Alfred Lord Tennyson
William Butler Yeats

The Well Wrought Urn by Cleanth Brooks [Paperback]