Gods
The idea of God is a key motif in Hölderlin's poetry and is a frequent point of interest. We get the impression that he is trying to work out what God means for him, often suggesting that God is present in the natural world.
Hölderlin seems to reject dogmatic and static representations of God in Christian tradition as being a representation of law and order, instead presenting God as a free concept that is different for everybody. Perhaps this is why the poet is drawn to the ancient Greek conception of God as being varied and personalized.
Nature
A key motif in his poetry, nature occurs in the majority of Hölderlin's poetry. He depicts nature as being inevitably connected to the divine, and as being a great teacher. When the poet speaks about his childhood, he often credits nature as being his teacher, comforted, and parental figure.
Flowers
As Hölderlin is concerned with nature, it is not surprising that flowers make a frequent appearance. In his poetry, flowers represent life due to their association with spring and nature. However, the flowers also represent death, due to their tendency to wilt quickly. For example, in "The Middle of Life," the speaker asks "where shall I find flowers, when it is winter?" Here, he acknowledges that flowers are not ever-lasting.
Strangers
Strangers are often seen in Hölderlin's poetry and are used as a way to express the poet's joy and curiosity about humanity. Hölderlin's poetry often features an unknown speaker observing a busy place, such as a market and imagining the inner lives of strangers. As such, strangers represent the varied possibilities for human existence and are something onto which Hölderlin can project his imagination and curiosity.
