Read the Question carefully and choose the correct option.
Arrange the following essays in the chronological order of publication.
A. T.S. Eliot, “The Function of Criticism”
B. Edgar Allan Poe, “The Philosophy of Composition”
C. Henry James, “The Art of Fiction”
D. Virginia Woolf, “Modern Fiction”
1. C, B, A, D
2. C, B, D, A
3. B, C, D, A
4. B, C, A, D
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Detailed Explanation & Answer
1. Edgar Allan Poe: “The Philosophy of Composition” (1846)
First published in Graham’s Magazine, April 1846.
It is a self-described account of how he composed “The Raven.”
➡ Earliest among the four.
2. Henry James: “The Art of Fiction” (1884)
Published in Longman’s Magazine, September 1884.
A foundational essay arguing for the artistic freedom and seriousness of the novel.
➡ Comes after Poe (1846) and before Woolf (1919).
3. Virginia Woolf: “Modern Fiction” (1919 / revised 1925)
First published as “Modern Novels” in 1919, later revised and retitled “Modern Fiction” in 1925.
Critiques Edwardian writers and outlines the aims of modernist fiction.
➡ Clearly later than James (1884) but earlier than Eliot (1923) in origin; the 1919 version is the one relevant for chronology.
4. T.S. Eliot: “The Function of Criticism” (1923)
Published in The Criterion, October 1923.
Defines criticism as a disciplined act separate from creative impulse.
➡ The latest among all four.
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