He was quickly adopted by wealthy tobacco merchant John Allan and his wife Frances Valentine Allan, adopting their last name as his middle name. Throughout his childhood, Poe was raised by Mr. Allan to become a businessman and Virginia Gentleman; However, Poe dreamed of becoming a writer, much like his childhood hero Lord Byron, and by thirteen he had compiled enough poetry to create a book. He was never allowed to publish because his director advised Allan against letting Poe pursue the lean