The Dew

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), who studied astromomy, wrote this poem just a few years after Urbain Le Verrier (1811-1887), the well known astronomer, gained great respect for identifying the celestial coordinates for Neptune. This feat provided Dickinson with a lovely, albeit sad metaphor for her final stanza in this brief but poignant work. The music, mostly homophonic, gently evokes the bittersweet meaning of the words. Duration: c. 3:01