The rhetoric of eulogies: A generic critique of classic and contemporary funeral oratory

Michael Lee Kent, Purdue University

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine contemporary funeral eulogies. It was posited that eulogies to "everyday citizens," the majority of eulogies conducted on a daily basis, are not the same as eulogies to "the great," the type most commonly discussed in the scholarly literature. This dissertation addressed four research questions: (1) historically and traditionally, how have eulogies been conceived, performed, and understood? (2) how are eulogies understood and practiced by professional clergy who conduct them? (3) what characteristics of eulogies make them particularly effective as vehicles of praise/consolation? and (4) what characteristics of the eulogies that have been previously studied are found in everyday eulogies and what does this suggest for rhetorical theory/practice? This project had two goals: (1) to draw from the literature on eulogies and the insights of professionals to explain how eulogies have been, and are "supposed to be," conducted in everyday practice; and (2) to examine a number of contemporary eulogies to identify their rhetorical characteristics and the extent to which theory on the subject matches everyday practice. This dissertation found that the previous literature on eulogies had failed to account for their highly religious character, and there exists at least two distinct genres of eulogies: eulogies to "the great" and eulogies to "everyday citizens." This dissertation discusses the specific characteristics of these genres and makes several suggestions for individuals who participate in these genres.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Webb, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Communication|Religion|Rhetoric|Composition

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