Mancrush II: Søren Aabye Kierkegaard

Kierkegaard (by Wilhelm Marstrand)

“IMPROVISED ADDRESS 

We celebrate, in this hour, the founding of our Society. We rejoice once more at the recurrence of the happy event of the longest day’s passing and the commencement of the victory of night. This long, livelong day we have waited; even a moment ago we were sighing at its length, but now our despair is turned to joy. True, the victory is but trifling and the day will remain in the ascendant yet a while, but the fact that its dominion has been broken does not escape us. So we do not put off our celebrations until the night’s victory can be seen by all, do not wait until the sluggish bourgeois life reminds us that the day is waning. No, as a young bride impatiently awaits nightfall, we longingly await the first onset of night, the first announcement of its coming victory, and the nearer we approach despair at what to do should the days not shorten, the greater our joy and surprise.”* 

*Either/Or, A Fragment of Life | Edited by Victor Eremita; translated by Alastair Hannay.