"The Philosophy of Composition" is an essay written by Edgar Allan Poe that elaborates a theory about how good writers write when they write well. Poe recounts the process by which he wrote his most famous poem, "The Raven" to illustrate the theory, which is in deliberate contrast to the "spontaneous creation" explanation put forth, for example, by Coleridge as an explanation for his "Kubla Khan".

The essay states Poe's conviction that a work of fiction should be written only after the author has decided how it is to end and which emotional response, or "effect," he wishes to create. Once these matters have been determined, they should decide all other matters pertaining to the composition of the work, including, for example, the theme, the setting, the characters, the conflict, and the plot. In this same essay, Poe contends that the short story is superior in its ability to create a desired effect to longer literary works because such effects are best achieved by works that can be read in a "single sitting."

It may be argued that the method that Poe endorses in "Composition" exemplifies the working backwards heuristic.

Poe's explanation of the process of writing is so rigidly logical, however, that some have suggested the essay was meant as a satire or hoax.

"The Philosophy of Composition" first appeared in Graham's Magazine in April, 1846.

External Links

Edgar Allan Poe. "The Philosophy of Composition" (full text online).

Edgar Allan Poe | American literature | Linguistics | Essays | 1846 works