Three Discourses on Imagined Occasions
was the last of seven works signed by Kierkegaard and published simultaneously with an anonymously authored companion piece.
Imagined Occasions
both complements and stands in contrast to Kierkegaard's pseudonymously published
Stages on Life's Way
.
The two volumes not only have a chronological relation but treat some of the same distinct themes. The first of the three discourses, "On the Occasion of a Confession," centers on stillness, wonder, and one's search for God—in contrast to the speechmaking on erotic love in "In Vino Veritas," part one of
Stages
. The second discourse, "On the Occasion of a Wedding," complements the second part of
, in which Judge William delivers a panegyric on marriage. The third discourse, "At a Graveside," sharpens the ethical and religious earnestness implicit in Stages's "'Guilty'/'Not Guilty'" and completes this collection.