How does through-composed form differ from strophic form?

In the context of musical composition, the primary difference between strophic and through-composed forms lies in how the music relates to the text of a song.

• Strophic form is characterized by the repetition of the same melody for each stanza of a text. This structure is commonly found in traditional ballads and hymns, where the musical framework remains consistent throughout the piece.12
• Through-composed form features a different musical plan for each new stanza of text. In this approach, there is no structural correspondence between the stanzas and the sections of music, allowing the composer to avoid repetitive plans and instead tailor the music to the specific mood or narrative progression of each part of the text.324

While through-composed music does not necessarily require entirely new musical ideas for every section, the defining characteristic is the lack of a repeating structural pattern across the stanzas. Conversely, a "modified-strophic" approach exists as a middle ground, where the basic musical framework is retained but details are altered to suit the evolving text.2