The article is devoted to the concept which was important for the literary studies of the 1920s but today only occasionally appears in philological scientific discourse. At the same time, it may be helpful while considering in the process of artistic creation and the internal structure of the literary work. By art teleology we mean the feasibility of organizing the work, its structure in accordance with the purpose and the artistic task of the author. Besides matching with a variety of scientific concepts (the author’s intention, setting, conception, purpose, maturity, integrity), teleology does not duplicate any of them, but considers and accumulates their values. That entails intention which includes a consciousness work as well as emotional and psychological subconscious impulse. Thus, being associated with the identification of the meaning and usefulness of the artistic phenomenon, teleology leads to understanding not only of his poetics, but also of his metaphysical essence.