Basing on a representative thematic sample of Germanlanguage lyrics of different ages the article discusses some important images and motifs associated with Summer. It shows that in the earlier poetic picture of Summer the nature and natural elements (water, earth, air and fire) somehow culminate, unfolding the space and creating sceneries for developments of the key summer motifs – first of all, “joy”, “earthly love” and “harvesting”. Besides, the sound and color metaphors play quite a special role in “summer” poems. And although in the German-language lyrics of the late nineteenth – early twentieth centuries all the above trends somehow continue, the poetic image of Summer starts to lose in harmony, joy and stability, gets filled with anxiety, while the main metaphors acquire more and more “autumnwinter” features: colors go out, sounds fade away, joy leaves, loss shines through the appearance of the fullness of life.
German-language lyrics; summer in poems; calendar images and motifs; Four Seasons by Goethe.