Look Back on Time with Kindly Eyes

The work opens with a sardonic take on the title line, the first reaction being one of malice towards recollection. The piece then transitions to a nostalgic perspective, as continued pondering gives way to softer sentiment and encompasses the climax of the setting. A long, languid section provides the ending material with an open-ended close in the piano depicting the dreamy haze of memory. This work may be performed in conjunction with In this short Life to create a multi-movement setting of two Dickinson poems on time.