Composition
Composition is another word for writing — the act of writing or the piece of writing that results.
It also refers to what something is made of.
The word composition comes from the Latin componere, meaning "put together" and its meaning
remains close to this.
In the literary sense, a composition (from the Latin "to put together") is the way a writer
assembles words and sentences to create a coherent and meaningful work. Composition can also
mean the activity of writing, the nature of the subject of a piece of writing, the piece of writing
itself, and the name of a college course assigned to a student. This essay focuses on practicing
how people write.
Just like a musician and an artist, a sets the tone of a composition to his or her purpose, making
decisions about what that tone should be to form a structure. A writer might express anything
from the point of view of cool logic to impassioned anger. A composition might use clean and
simple prose, flowery, descriptive passages, or analytical nomenclature.
Types of Composition Writing
The four classical types of composition (description, narration, exposition, and argumentation)
are not categories, per se. They would almost never stand alone in a piece of writing, but rather
are best-considered modes of writing, pieces of writing styles that can be combined and used to
create a whole. That is to say, they can inform a piece of writing, and they are good starting
points for understanding how to put a piece of writing together.
Description
A description, or descriptive writing, is a statement or account that describes something or
someone, listing characteristic features and significant details to provide a reader with a portrayal
in words. Descriptions are set in the concrete, in the reality, or solidity of an object as a
representation of a person, place, or thing in time. They provide the look and feel of objects, a
simultaneous whole, with as many details as you'd like.
A description of a rose might include the color of the petals, the aroma of its perfume, where it
exists in your garden, whether it is in a plain terracotta pot or a hothouse in the city.
Narration
A narration, or narrative writing, is a , a story that the writer tells his or her reader. It can be an
account of a series of facts or events, given in order and establishing connections between the
steps. It can even be dramatic, in which case you can present each individual scene with actions
and dialog. The chronology could be in strict order, or you could include flashbacks.
A narration about a rose might describe how you first came across it, how it came to be in your
garden, or why you went to the greenhouse that day.
Exposition
Exposition, or expository writing, is the act of expounding or explaining a person, place, thing,
or event. Your purpose is not to just describe something, but to give it a reality, an interpretation,
your ideas on what that thing means. In some respects, you are laying out a proposition to
explain a general notion or abstract idea of your subject.
An exposition on a rose might include its taxonomy, what its scientific and common names are,
who developed it, what the impact was when it was announced to the public, and/or how was it
distributed.
Argumentation
Also called argumentative writing, an argumentation is basically an exercise in comparing and
contrasting. It is the methodological presentation of both sides of an argument using logical or
formal reasoning. The end result is formulated to persuade why thing A is better than thing B.
What you mean by "better" makes up the content of your arguments.
Argumentation applied to a rose might be why one particular rose is better than another, why you
prefer roses over daisies, or vice versa.
