ENDURING
POET ON
EXHIBIT
nlike
more widely known poets of the 20th century, Edgar Bowers rarely gave public
readings and made no effort to court publicity. The role of bard was not
one that he aspired to play; in fact, he was fond of pointing out that one
is a poet only when one is writing a poem. Although a social and affable
man, he was intensely private and devoted to the craft of poetry during
a period that generally favored formless self-expression. He believed that
reason should balance emotion, that elegance should temper spontaneity,
and that the traditions of the past should guide one beyond the fashions
of the present. Ironically, as a result of his stubborn adherence to what
many of his contemporaries deemed outmoded virtues, Bowers' poetry continues
to gain admirers today and will be read for centuries to come.
Edgar Bowers
at Stanford University
Edgar
Bowers among the ruins of Chaco Canyon
1991
medallion from University of California, Santa Barbara
A page of Bowers?s self-annotated copy
of Dante?s Inferno
Bowers?s
magnifying lens
MS
of "To Soft Music"
MS
of "Eve Remembers"
MS
of "Of Someone"
MS
of "The Understanding"
THE
POEMS
"In
the Last Circle"
"Dark
Earth and Summer"