Elizabethan Sonnet Cycles: Idea, Fidesa and Chloris

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Elizabethan Sonnet Cycles: Idea, Fidesa and Chloris

by Michael Drayton, Bartholomew Griffin, active 1596 William Smith

EN·~2 hours

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Description

In the glittering world of Elizabethan court and countryside, a young poet wanders the fairy‑touched woods of Arden and learns his craft beside the harp at Polesworth Hall. His verses soon become a steady stream of lyrical and chorographical works that win the favor of generous patrons, yet his heart remains fixed on a single, unattainable lady, whom he calls “Idea.” Through tender eclogues and earnest sonnets, he paints her beauty in language that balances pastoral charm with budding artistic ambition.

The collection follows his early triumphs, his move to bustling London, and the bittersweet realization that love and poetry do not always walk hand in hand. As his style matures, he experiments with the Shakespearean sonnet form, refining his voice while lingering on the ache of unreceived letters and missed meetings. Listeners will hear the echo of a poet who, despite modest means, strives to immortalize a love that shapes an entire lyrical legacy.

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Details

Language

en

Duration

~2 hours (120K characters)

Publisher of text edition

Project Gutenberg

Release date

2005-03-24

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

About the authors

Michael Drayton

Michael Drayton

1563–1631

Best known for the vast topographical poem Poly-Olbion, this Elizabethan and Jacobean writer ranged widely across sonnets, pastorals, legends, and historical verse. His work mixes ambition, musical language, and a lasting fascination with England’s landscape and story.

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Bartholomew Griffin

d. 1602

Best remembered for the sonnet sequence Fidessa, this elusive Elizabethan poet left behind a small body of work and a large sense of mystery. Almost nothing certain is known about his life, which gives his surviving poems an extra air of intrigue.

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A1

active 1596 William Smith

An elusive Elizabethan poet, he is known for a single surviving work: the sonnet sequence Chloris, printed in 1596. Little is known about his life, which gives the book an extra air of mystery.

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