The Philosophy of Composition (1846) is an essay by Edgar Allan Poe.
Recognized as a foundational figure of nineteenth century fiction, Poe
has inspired generations of readers and writers with his craftsmanship
and taste for tragedy and terror. His brief but meteoric career shaped
the trajectory of American literature forever, forming a legacy without
which science fiction, horror, and detective writing would surely be
shells of themselves. Published only three years before his untimely
death, the essay appeared in an April 1846 issue of Graham's American
Monthly Magazine of Literature and Art, whose editor had previously
made the mistake of turning down "The Raven." Both influential and
controversial, Poe's essay on craft was intended as a dismissal of the
myth of spontaneous art, arguing instead that a true artist depends upon
attention to detail and adherence to a logical creative process. Using
his own poetic masterpiece as an example, Poe claims that the writer
must maintain "unity of effect" throughout the work in order to inspire
the intended emotional response in the reader. Once this element has
been set in place, the writer may proceed with the more technical
aspects of composition, such as characters, setting, and plot. Although
Poe's essay drew the ire of Anglo-American poet T. S. Eliot, it was
immensely popular among Poe's Francophone audience and served as
inspiration for such artists as Maurice Ravel and Charles Baudelaire.
With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript,
this edition of Edgar Allan Poe's The Philosophy of Composition is a
classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.
