Traditionally thought to have been composed in October 1821, more recent evidence suggests that Shelley had began work on a number of discarded starts to his lyrical drama,
Hellas, in April and June 1821 before writing
Adonais[See Separate Entry] in response to the news of John Keats’s untimely death. Certainly by 11 October 1821, Shelley felt confident enough about the piece to write to Charles Ollier, his publisher, that his dramatic poem,
Hellas, was nearing completion. Shelley’s confidence was justified as, on 11 November 1821, he dispatched a transcription of his poetic drama (prepared by his friend, Edward Williams, earlier that same month) to Ollier with the expectation that the manuscript would be sent ‘instantly to a Printer’ (
Letters, II p. 921). Although Shelley was in…
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Citation: Sandy, Mark. "Hellas". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 25 August 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4793, accessed 26 November 2024.]
