| Edmund Clarence Stedman, ed. (1833–1908). An American Anthology, 1787–1900. 1900. |
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| 970. The Kearsarge |
| | | By James Jeffrey Roche |
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| IN the gloomy ocean bed | |
| Dwelt a formless thing, and said, | |
| In the dim and countless eons long ago, | |
| “I will build a stronghold high, | |
| Ocean’s power to defy, | 5 |
| And the pride of haughty man to lay low.” | |
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| Crept the minutes for the sad, | |
| Sped the cycles for the glad, | |
| But the march of time was neither less nor more; | |
| While the formless atom died, | 10 |
| Myriad millions by its side, | |
| And above them slowly lifted Roncador. | |
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| Roncador of Caribee, | |
| Coral dragon of the sea, | |
| Ever sleeping with his teeth below the wave; | 15 |
| Woe to him who breaks the sleep! | |
| Woe to them who sail the deep! | |
| Woe to ship and man that fear a shipman’s grave! | |
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| Hither many a galleon old, | |
| Heavy-keeled with guilty gold, | 20 |
| Fled before the hardy rover smiting sore; | |
| But the sleeper silent lay | |
| Till the preyer and his prey | |
| Brought their plunder and their bones to Roncador. | |
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| Be content, O conqueror! | 25 |
| Now our bravest ship of war, | |
| War and tempest who had often braved before, | |
| All her storied prowess past, | |
| Strikes her glorious flag at last | |
| To the formless thing that builded Roncador. | 30 |
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