Automatic composition refers to a writing method derived from Surrealist practice wherein the poet suppresses conscious control to allow subconscious impulses, dreams, or spontaneous associations to dictate form and content; this technique aims to bypass rational censorship and access raw, unfiltered expression, often resulting in fragmented syntax, unexpected juxtapositions, and dreamlike logic, as pioneered by André Breton and later adapted by Beat and Language poets.

Automatic composition involves writing without conscious control, often from surrealist or Dadaist traditions; aims to access subconscious thought—try timed free-writing or dream journaling as practice.