Cleanth Brooks published 'The Well Wrought Urn' in 1947, a foundational text in New Criticism that emphasized the importance of close reading in the analysis of poetry. Brooks argued that poems should be viewed as self-contained, paradoxical structures, requiring readers to engage deeply with the text rather than relying on external contexts. His approach reshaped literary criticism, encouraging a focus on the intrinsic qualities of literary works and influencing generations of scholars and students.

Cleanth Brooks's publication of 'The Well Wrought Urn' in 1947 dictated how poetry was taught and written in the mid-20th century. By prioritizing irony, paradox, and formal unity over biographical or historical meaning, Brooks influenced a generation of poets and critics to engage deeply with the structure and aesthetics of poetry.