The title for the project, "Eloquence in Talke and Vertue in Deedes," comes from educational theorist William Kempe's claim that the early modern humanist educational system was guaranteed to produce eloquence and virtue. It is, however, my argument that the educational failed in its promises. This project seeks to dissect the…

Rhetorical analyses of speeches made by United States presidents and world leaders abound, particularly studies about addresses to nations in times of crisis. These are important because what presidents say amidst uncertainty and chaos defines their leadership in the eyes of the public. But with new forms of crisis rhetoric, our understanding of…

My dissertation investigates the twentieth and twenty-first century reader's relationship to poetic text as it is altered through daily exposure to technology in the rise of the information age, as seen in the works of Francis Ponge, Pierre Alferi and Veronique Vassiliou. My project also examines historical documents--radio and television…