This treatise, A musical analysis of The abyss suite, examines the musical underpinnings of an original three-movement work for jazz orchestra. Each movement musically represents a certain period of time occurring over the course of an emotional ordeal in my life. Through the incorporation and manipulation of certain musical elements--form, melody, harmony, and other compositional devices--this piece serves as a wordless narrative of that ordeal. The analysis will address each of these elements in turn. / text