Two Ages Søren Kierkegaard Analysis

In 1846, existentialist philosopher Søren Kierkegaard wrote Two Ages: A Literary Review to critique In order to effectively and intelligibly convey these ideas on the modern age, the “present age,” as he calls it, he turns to a variety of rhetorical and stylistic devices, allusions, and careful word choices. A notable feature of Kierkegaard’s writing is his tendency towards long and extremely complex sentences. One way he accomplishes this is by the “overuse” of semicolons, which can be seen in more than two instances in his essay. He states, “”. Next, Kierkegaard creates a thoughtful effect through ellipses. As in his quote, “Men, then, only desire money, and money is an abstraction, a form of reflection… Men do not envy the gifts of others, their
The envy of characterlessness never understands that distinction is really a distinction, nor does it understand itself in recognizing distinction negatively, but rather reduces it so that it is no longer distinction; and envy defends itself not only from distinction, but against that distinction which is to come. Here, one can find many types of figurative language and rhetorical devices. For instance, personification is used, with envy having the ability to “sneak up,” “arrive,” “protect,” “reduce,” “understand,” “recognize,” and finally, “defend.” Furthermore, envy, a feeling, also has feelings itself; it harbors “misery.” The purpose of personification in this case is to show how powerful envy is – its capabilities and how anyone can fall victim to it– as well as stress its prominence in the present age. To continue, the repetition of “distinction” in the succeeding sentence is a clear example of