The tone of the Kierkegaard Anthology is almost exclusively set by Soren Kierkegaard's unique personality. The tone is best described as having four aspects: (i) melancholy, (ii) passion, (iii) piety, and (iv) humor. First, as is widely known, Kierkegaard battles depression his entire life. While his life in Copenhagen appears to outsiders as largely uneventful, his internal life is full of emotional turmoil.