The Portland daily press., 1882-02-16
e,o,nnosition writing Again.

Mr.. EDITOR I'm to-days PRESS is publish
a letter from Prof Northrop of Yale College.
written in answer to a request from A. b. NJ.
for his opinion of the opposing positions taken
by A. B. NJ and myself in regard to the
phrase composition writing" as used by A.
B. M. in the heading of letter addressed
to his class in English composition. This
letter of the Yale professor is curious COM
possition. 1t was evidently written in great
haste. and without clear understanding OF
the question involved. For example, the pro-
lessor begins with two contradictory sentences,
as follows: "Your position that is A. B M'sl
is correct. 1t is true that composition. as the
act of composing is often sufficient OF itself,
az stated by your critic" According to Web
ster's dictionary a. Comp position is the act OF
composing, or forming whole or integral by
placing together and uniting different things,
parts or ingredients In specific uses, the In
yention or combination OF the parts OF any
literary work or DISCOURSE or OF work OF art;
as the composition of poem,. or piece OF
music 81 That which is formed BY putting
together or composing; as chemical, literary,
musical composition, or the like. The DENIM
tions of the term given IN worcester
dictionary are substantially the same as tnose
lust quoted These two are the only mean1n gs
which can be attached to the word composition
when used in literary sense. A. b. M. used
the word in its literary sense, consequently
it must mean either the act OF composing
or the product, OF the act IL. ne PC
the phrase Composition Writing" compost
ton meaning that which is formed by putting
together, that is, the thoughts and ideas OF the
person being previously arranged and combined
ready to be placed on paper, the word writing
NAV imply the present act of placing said
Thoughts and ideas on paper. In this sense
sscomposition writing can mean only the
kind of handwriting in which the product Oh
previous mental action is set down on paper or
other material. But the body OF A. b. M. s
letter to his class in English composition makes
it Main that he is striving to improve not the
caiigraphy of his class but the members
knowledge of the art of composing, or com
position" used in the other meaning given 1T
by Webster, as quoted above. ;,
This being granted and 1t canno. pc .rn.n-
es the very idea A. B M. wished to express by
sscomnosition writing consequently writ
ipe'' which only repeats the idea, being used
intransitively, is Pathological.
In his letter, Prof. Northrop 1urther re-
marks
"But composition is the product OF the act,
and the scholar has to write compositions and
read compositions. This use and this sense OF
the word are recognized by writers who have
any occasion to say anything about II, nom a.
Whately to Hill. composition wrltlng Is
therefore correct. PRESIDENT NOAH Torter
agrees with me in this.
President Noah Porter and Prof. Cyrus Nor
throp are mistaken when they defend the ex-
preston composition writing by giving Whate-
iy as authority. They cannot find in any text
book or other published work of Bishop
Whately authority for the phrase compost
ton writing. He was never guilty of using
such an awkward ARCHAEOLOGICAL expression.
Let the phrase be quoted from AWhately' s
works if it can be found.
Portland, Feb. 10. e. ). y.