Journal 1

            Composition is a way that composers not only compose ideas, but also a way that composers think on their ideas. In a sense, it is an act of portraying one’s thoughts. Theoretically, composing is a way to not only portray our ideas, but to dwell on and expand our ideas as well.

            There are six words that highlight this: rhetorical, control, responsive, complex, subjective and genuine. These words help to better understand what writing is, and the purpose of writing or composition.

            “Rhetorical” is the first word because it is the most general and the broadest. It acts as an umbrella to all the other terms, because all writing is rhetorical. In other words, all writing presents a situation that is presented by a composer.

            Writing is controlled. This is true not necessarily because it controls the audience, but because when one writes, they create a situation they control. In that sense, writing is also situational because writing always presents a situation. That is the purpose of it. Therefore, writing is controlled.

            Writing is also responsive. Within a situation that is presented, this will always evoke a response, whether or not the composer includes the response in the composition. This could range from a response from an audience to a written response to the written situation.

            Undoubtedly, writing is complex (yes, this includes Hemingway). Writing is always complex because it is almost “layered.” It evokes many responses, it is artistic, it is one’s creation, and perhaps it is complex just because of the fact that writing is always subjective.

            Ideas are not always subjective, but even writing about sure and certain ideas can be subjective. This is because every person who interacts with a work is entitled to receive the work in his or her own way, or to interpret it however they seem fit. Audience aside, subjectivity especially pertains to the composer, who portrays a given idea however he or she seems fit.

            Writing is genuine. In my opinion, this is always writing’s redeeming quality. All writing is created equal, that is, all writing has potential to grow and mature, and all writing has potential to decay and fail, as mentioned by Blitzer in “The Rhetorical Situation.”