Lullabies are songs with the purpose of bringing an infant or child into the state of sleep. Characteristics of lullabies are special infant-directed speech such as higher pitch than normal, simple pitch contours, shorter utterances, longer pauses, greater rhythmicity, and sing-song quality. It isn’t considered children’s folklore but directed towards infants and children specifically. It is considered a universal genre - with both ancient and modern ties. Generally, it is considered music, words are optional and its musically uniform. Lullabies are monotonously repetitive that often use onomatopoeias. Lullabies are known for their structural simplicity and smooth and descending pitch contours. Lullabies put children to sleep by entreaties, promises and praise, threats, enlisting the help of magical creatures, homeopathic magic, contagious sleep, contagious magic, listening to a story about the child’s future, and listening to a story about someone else’s future.
Malcolm Leverett, Dartmouth '14, Russian 13, Professor Mikhail Gronas, Spring 2014
