, ▁that ▁the ▁Terry ▁family ▁instit uted ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁in ▁Mad ison , ▁Wisconsin . ▁ ▁To ▁Say ▁Before ▁Go ing ▁to ▁S leep ▁was ▁composed ▁by ▁H eg gie ▁in ▁his ▁student ▁days . ▁He ▁described ▁it ▁as ▁" a ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁long ing ▁and ▁frag ility ▁expressed ▁in ▁one ▁st anza ▁from ▁R il ke ' s ▁bel oved ▁poem ". ▁ ▁Songs ▁and ▁Son net s ▁to ▁O ph elia ▁was ▁mostly ▁composed ▁for ▁sop rano ▁Peg gy ▁K ri ha - D ye , ▁and ▁was ▁premier ed ▁by ▁her ▁in ▁the ▁James ▁Schw ab acher ▁rec ital ▁series ▁in ▁the ▁Old ▁First ▁Church , ▁San ▁Francisco ▁on ▁ 9 ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁The ▁first ▁song ▁in ▁the ▁cycle ▁came ▁to ▁H eg gie ▁in ▁a ▁flash ▁of ▁insp iration ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁when ▁Joh ana ▁Harris ▁ch anced ▁to ▁say ▁" The ▁hills ▁are ▁green , ▁my ▁dear ▁one ". ▁Six teen ▁years ▁later , ▁it ▁occurred ▁to ▁him ▁that ▁the ▁song ▁might ▁be ▁a ▁good ▁pre l ude ▁to ▁a ▁larger ▁work ▁about ▁O ph elia , ▁" an ▁extraordinary ▁young ▁woman ▁- ▁pushed , ▁pulled ▁and ▁used ▁in ▁a ▁world ▁domin ated ▁by ▁men ▁- ▁seeking ▁connection ▁and ▁ag on izing ▁over ▁love ". ▁He ▁felt ▁that ▁a ▁real - life , ▁tw enti eth - century ▁O ph elia ▁might ▁well ▁have ▁felt ▁a ▁kin ship ▁with ▁Ed na ▁St . ▁Vincent ▁Mill