Good poems invite interpretation. A single poem read by 10 different people will likely be voiced 10 different ways. The simplest line is open to countless ways of being recited. “Nothing is so beautiful as spring” may be read flatly, or with a rising and falling arc, or emphasizing one word over others. This in turn affects the meaning we bring to the words.
“Art song” is the setting of poems to music. A composer fashions music for a singer and accompaniment (usually piano) to fit the prosody and mood of a given poem. The result is the composer’s interpretation of the poem.
