Dissertation title
"Not an Echoed Voice—No: Their Own Voice”: The Echo of Religious Influence in the Whitman Poetic Tradition

Dissertation advisor: Dr. Edward Whitley

Note to Dr. Edward Whitley:
I could not possibly have completed this project without the insight, humor, and guidance of my amazing mentor! Thank you so much, Ed, for your endless support and encouragement and your belief in me and my work. I am eternally grateful to have you as a mentor!

Note from Dr. Edward Whitley:
"It's been a privilege working with you these last few years, Rachel. I knew from your amazing performance at your PhD qualifying exams--so professional, confident, well-spoken, and prepared--that you would write an excellent dissertation. And you have! Your initial insights about how poetry is shaped by a poet's early religious experiences has resulted in a huge pay-off for your completed dissertation. The pattern you identified in Walt Whitman's exposure to Hicksite Quakerism as a young boy makes a compelling argument for how Whitman addresses his working-class readers by way of the spiritual grammar of Quaker worship. When you found similar patterns in the poetry of Langston Hughes and H.D., I had a feeling you were really on to something. And you were! Your finished dissertation is a tremendous contribution not only to American literary studies, but also to interdisciplinary scholarship on religion and spirituality. Most importantly, though, your dissertation is a reflection of who you are and the things in life that you value the most. For that, I hope you can take pride in the work that you've done, and also in the person you've become.
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