Edgar Bowers was born in Rome, Georgia, and educated at Stanford University. There he studied under the poet and critic Yvor Winters, who influenced Bowers's deft use of rhyme and traditional forms, as seen in the poem, "A Poet Orders His Tomb." This poetic technique, combined with a deep concern for science, society, and art, gained Bowers a small, but influential audience, despite his relatively small output and extended periods of silence. Though open to many varied influences, Bowers often disparaged American poets, looking for mentors among French poets, most notably Paul Valéry.