Henri Cole was born in Fukuoka, Japan, to an American father and French mother, and raised in Virginia, United States. His father, a North Carolinian, enlisted in the service after graduating from high school and, while stationed in Marseilles, met Cole's mother, who worked at the PX. Together they lived in Japan, Germany, Illinois, California, Nevada, Missouri and Virginia, where Cole attended public schools and the College of William and Mary. He has published seven collections of poetry in English.

From 1982 until 1988 he was executive director of The Academy of American Poets. Since that time he has held many teaching positions and been the artist-in-residence at various institutions, including Brandeis University, Columbia University, Davidson College, Harvard University, Reed College, Smith College, Yale University, and his alma mater, The College of William and Mary. He currently teaches at Ohio State University and lives in Boston.