The composition of a single melody is born out of a bit of text, perhaps the first line, but it can also be the entire strophe; it can even be the poem's overall form.
Dietrich Fischer-DieskauMany, many composers have only found their way to a certain form, through familiarizing themselves with texts.
Dietrich Fischer-DieskauBrahms believed that there was no need to publish absolutely everything that Schubert ever wrote.
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau