The poet
Ellis wrote poetry and entered local eisteddfodau winning a number of competitions including the Bardic Chair in Bala, Pwllheli, Llanuwchllyn, and Pontardawe, in South Wales. Apart from writing for competitions he also composed poetry about events and people around Trawsfynydd. It is a custom that Welsh poets take an Enw Barddol (a Bardic Name), and Ellis chose Hedd Wyn which means 'Blessed Peace'. His ambition was to win in the National Eisteddfod of Wales, which he first entered in 1915 when it was held in Bangor.
