James Fenimore Cooper
Cooper, the 11th of 12 children born to the man who founded Cooperstown and built Ostego Hall, is remembered for his books of sailing and wilderness adventure, including the Leatherstocking Series featuring Natty Bumppo, the most well-known of which is Last of the Mohicans (1826). In addition to enjoying the life of a country gentleman in New York, Cooper also traveled and wrote extensively in Europe. Cooper addresses this poem to a “niece by adoption” and versifies about his own Achilles' heel and a storm at sea.
This poem is available on the digital library project I Remain.