Elizabethan Sonnet Cycles: Idea, Fidesa and Chloris

by Michael Drayton

"Elizabethan Sonnet Cycles: Idea, Fidesa, and Chloris" is a compilation of sonnet cycles edited by Martha Foote Crow, likely created in the late 19th century. The collection features works by three poets: Michael Drayton, Bartholomew Griffin, and William Smith, highlighting the themes of love and longing characteristic of the Elizabethan era. Each cycle presents a unique exploration of passion and desire, with Drayton’s "Idea" reflecting his unrequited love, Griffin's "Fidesa" focusing on the tension between love and cruelty, and Smith's "Chloris" portraying the sorrowful devotion of an enamored shepherd. The opening of the book introduces the individual cycles, beginning with "Idea," where Michael Drayton recounts his heart-wrenching devotion to a woman he calls Idea, evolving over years of silent longing. It delves into his artistic journey, emphasizing the progression of his emotions and poetic craft through various iterations of his sonnets. Following this, the introduction to "Fidesa" presents Bartholomew Griffin, who reflects on the complexities of love through a lens of playful yet poignant longing, while "Chloris" reveals William Smith's perspective on heartache as a shepherd is left mourning unreciprocated affection. Each work embodies the struggles of love that resonate deeply across time.