Composition

Composition refers to the arrangement and organization of components within a whole to achieve balance, meaning, or function. The term is used across multiple disciplines, including visual arts, music, literature, and science.

In visual arts and design, composition governs how elements such as line, shape, color, texture, and space are arranged. Principles such as balance, contrast, emphasis, rhythm, proportion, and unity guide the viewer's experience. Common tools include grids, balance through symmetry or asymmetry, and compositional rules like the rule of thirds or leading lines.

In music, composition is the act of creating a new musical work or arranging existing material. It involves melodies, harmony, rhythm, timbre, and form. Composers decide themes, development, repetition, contrasts, and how voices or instruments are combined. Forms range from binary and ternary pieces to sonata, fugue, or through-composed structures.

In literature, composition concerns the structure and organization of a text. This includes plots, settings, characters, point of view, and pacing. Writers craft scenes and paragraphs to develop ideas, create tension, and convey voice. Poetry, essays, novels, and screenplays each have conventions for ordering material.

In science and materials science, composition describes the constituents of a substance or mixture. Chemical composition lists elements and their ratios; mass fraction, mole fraction, and percent composition express relative amounts. Knowledge of composition helps explain properties and behavior, from alloys to minerals and polymers.