Welsh National Eisteddfod 1916
In the same year as the Battle of the Somme some traditional cultural events continued at home such as the Eisteddfod - which Hedd Wyn came second in. Ellis was opposed to the war - he hated violence and killing, a conscientious objector, and his poetry reflected his feelings. He composed verse about friends who were killed. He did not want to volunteer to join the army. But in 1916 the government introduced conscription. This meant that despite farming being work of national importance Ellis like many others was forced to join the army.
