Examines four discourses by Kierkegaard arguing that they play a critical and surprising role in his oeuvre and contribute to the philosophy of figural language.How do texts speak with authority That is the question at the heart of Kierkegaards theory and practice of indirect communication. None of Kierkegaards texts respond to this question more concisely and powerfully than the four discourses he wrote about the lily in the Gospel. The Lilys Tongue is a nuanced sustained reading of these Lily Discourses. Kierkegaard takes the lilies as authoritative rather than merely figural or metaphorical. This book is a careful exploration of what Kierkegaard means by this authority.Frances MaughanBrown demonstrates how Kierkegaard argues that the key is in the act of reading itselfno text can have authority unless the reader grants it that authority because no text can entirely avoid figural language. Texts dont speak directly their tongue is always the lilys tongue. What is revealed in the Lily Discourses is a groundbreaking theory of figure which requires a renewed reading of Kierkegaards major pseudonymous works.