Edgar Allan Poe had a special way with his work. He was adopted early in life to be spared from poverty and sorrow (Roberts and Zweig 226). But in the Great Reading it says that he still felt satisfaction in the suffering of women. Poe just wanted to become a writer and followed his passion by judging the work of others to support himself (Roberts and Zweig 226). Some say he is selfish and self-indulgent. Unfortunately, Poe's death remains a mystery, but his works affect people's daily lives. The elegance of Poe's prose evokes an emotional response to which he was subjected during his childhood and which subsequently led to the creation of the most influential works of the 19th century. The events of his childhood are surely responsible for some of his actions of questionable beauty. In an excerpt devoted to Poe by Roberts and Zweig, we learn that he claimed his middle name from Francis Allan. The excerpt gives more information on the subject by saying that the Allans saved young Poe from the foster care system after his mother died before he was three. His mother traveled as a performer, accompanying Poe and his siblings from show to show. The anthology goes on to say that after being a cadet at West Point, he became estranged from the Allans. Poe took editorial positions to support himself (Roberts and Zweig 226). In the article titled “Poe's Calling Card,” it says that “when the poem you are reading features death (especially of dead women), elaborate rhyme, and mournful lyrics. language… you are dealing with Poe. Stating that Poe likes to write stories of depressed men... pines for the women who abandoned them when they died. Emphasizing that this method is his calling card and that he is trying to inflict feelings of depression on the reader. In the middle of the paper, I focus on things that people generally don't find attractive. Critics might say he was self-indulgent and self-centered, but it is these characteristics that make his work beautiful. The elegance of Poe's prose evokes an emotional response to which he was subjected during his childhood and which later led to the creation of the most influential works of the 19th century. Works Cited “Essence”. Dictionary.com. 2014. Internet. April 21, 2014.Jackson, Kevin. “The Big Bad Writer.” Prospect Magazine. February 22, 2012. The web. April 20, 2014. “Poe's Theory of Poetry.” » The big read. Document 1. Nd. 16. Internet. April 19, 2014. Roberts, Edgar V. and Robert Zweig, editors. Literature: an introduction to reading and writing. 5th ed. compact. New York: Pearson Longman, 2012. 226. Print.Shmoop Editorial Team. “Business card of Edgar Allan Poe.” Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., nd. Internet. April 20 2014.