Gods
Hölderlin explores his own, personal connection to religion, and what the idea of God means to him. Although brought up as Christian, Hölderlin's poetry seems to favor a personal and unique approach to God, rather than an impersonal, dogmatic conception of God depicted by organized religion.
Home
"Homecoming" is a reflection upon the idea of home, and what it means to the speaker. Hölderlin depicts home as being a place of warmth and belonging, where a person truly feels secure and comforted. For example, the following passage emphasizes the feelings the speaker experiences when he enters his homeland:
"Dear friends are there to welcome me.
O voice of the city, voice of my mother!"
Dreaming
Many of Hölderlin's poems are about the power of idealism and dreams. For example, he writes that "man is God when he dreams," revealing the power of having independent thoughts and dreams. Many of his poems have a distinctly dream-like quality, in which he describes faith, nature, and people in a magical and fascinating way. For example, consider the following passage:
"My heart is awake, but the night always
Holds and binds me in its holy magic."
