Kierkegaard published Repetition [Gjentagelsen] on 16 October 1843, on the same day as Fear and Trembling and Three Edifying Discourses. It is published under the pseudonym Constantin Constantius and has the subtitle “A Venture in Experimenting Psychology”. It bears the epigraph “On wild trees, the flowers are fragrant, on cultivated trees, the fruits” (Flavius Philostratus the Elder).
The book is divided into the following sections: Title, subtitle, pseudonym, epigraph, an untitled report by Constantius, a second part titled “Repetition”, seven letters from the young man addressed to “My Silent Confidant”, incidental observations by Constantius, another letter from the young man, an address to Mr N.N. Esquire (the real reader of this book), and a concluding letter from Constantius.
The book begins with the Eleatics’ denial of motion, and their refutation in practice by Diogenes, who...
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Citation: McDonald, William. "Gjentagelsen". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 March 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4961, accessed 10 June 2026.]
