Josephine Lang (1815-1880) was one of countless composers who set Goethe’s poetry to music. She set thirteen of his poems in total, most of which were composed from 1830 to 1840, a most prolific period during which she composed some of her finest Lieder. Lang’s Goethe settings are unique among her Lieder output in that his poetry, (like the poetry of Heinrich Heine) elicited a sophisticated musical response from her. Lang excelled at the challenge of interpreting the poetry of these two major literary figures and, in her songs, identified with what Henry Hatfield deemed as Goethe’s ‘pouring forth of emotion’ in his art. Her preference for Goethe’s poetry in the early stages of her career is highly significant. Analysing her approach to text setting can aid a deepening of our understanding of Lang as a composer of Lieder, while also examining how Goethe’s poetry can be interpreted in song.