loetelude
Loetelude is a term used in literary criticism and speculative fiction to describe a stylistic device that blends lullaby-like cadence with deliberate elision and fragmentation of syntax. It is not a standardized term and has multiple, overlapping definitions in different circles.
Etymology is uncertain; most accounts treat loetelude as a neologism blending "lull" or "lullaby" with "elude"
In practice, loetelude often features short, soft lines or phrases that create a hypnotic rhythm, interspersed
Scholars distinguish several varieties: phonetic loetelude, which emphasizes sound patterns; syntactic loetelude, which relies on punctuated
Example: a paragraph may repeat a motif with diminishing clarity: "the room heard a clock—an echo—then nothing;
Reception is mixed. Proponents cite its utility for portraying unreliable memory, trance-like states, or dream logic;
See also: stream of consciousness, fragmentation, aural poetry, elision, memory fiction.