This isn’t a “real” acrostic either, because, well – e.e. What else can we say? Is he actually going to follow a form, all the way through, properly? Not if he can help it, the rule-breaker.
M in a vicious world-to love virtue
A in a craven world-to have courage
R in a treacherous world-to prove loyal
I in a wavering world-to stand firm
A in a cruel world-to show mercy
N in a biased world-to act justly
N in a shameless world-to live nobly
E in a hateful world-to forgive
M in a venal world-to be honest
O in a heartless world-to be human
O in a killing world-to create
R in a sick world-to be whole
E in an epoch of UNself-to be ONEself
— “Marianne Moore”
And now, you ask, who was Marianne Moore to our Edward? She was a contemporary and a colleague; a poet of some renown and his acrostic was in response to a photograph of her. How lovely.