Vevstropisme

Vevstropisme is a term used in a small body of contemporary literary criticism to describe a particular approach to formal design in experimental poetry and prose. The term is not widely standardized and is encountered mainly in Scandinavian-language discussions and online glossaries.

Etymology and sense: Vevstropisme appears to fuse the concept of weaving, suggested by roots akin to vev meaning “to weave,” with notions of joining or binding, implied by strop. The suffix -isme signals a stylistic doctrine or mode of thought. In this sense, vevstropisme conveys the idea of weaving together disparate narrative strands into a cohesive but intricate fabric of text.

Definition and features: The concept characterizes works that emphasize interlacing motifs, recurring lines or images, and a tactile, weaving-like progression of narrative strands. It often involves cyclical refrains, cross-referencing across sections, and a focus on process, making, and materiality as part of meaning rather than on linear plot alone. Textures of repetition, variation through pattern, and attention to the materiality of language are commonly highlighted.

Context and usage: Vevstropisme has appeared in discussions of experimental poetry and textile-inspired or process-oriented artwork. Critics note its affinity with procedural or serial approaches and with intertextual weaving of references. Most discussions present the concept descriptively rather than as a widely adopted theory, and concrete exemplars are typically analyzed rather than widely cited works.

Reception and status: Given its limited circulation, vevstropisme lacks broad consensus as a distinct literary category. Some scholars view it as a useful descriptive image for certain texture-based forms, while others argue it overlaps with established ideas such as motif recurrence, serial poetry, or textile metaphors in art.

See also: intertextuality, motif, serial poetry, procedural art.