INTRODUCTION Cleanth Brooks was a leading American literary critic. He played a key role in developing New Criticism, a method that highlights close reading and the intrinsic features of literature. Born in 1906, Brooks co-authored important books such as “Understanding Poetry” and “The Well Wrought Urn”. Among his many essays, “The Heresy of Paraphrase” stands out. In this essay, Brooks explores why paraphrasing poetry fails to capture its true meaning. The Main Argument of “The Heresy of Paraphrase” In “The Heresy of Paraphrase,” Brooks challenges...