READ OUT LOUD. Choose which marked text you prefer to practice with - macrons in verse form, or macrons in prose order, or accent marks in prose order, or focusing on the meter. You will find materials for all of these options below. :-)
VERSE MACRONS. Here is the verse text with macrons:
Pontus erat: iuxtā laetās pascēbat in agrīs
Pastor ovēs; placidus fluctus ubīque iacet.Dum mare tranquillum spectat, vēsāna cupīdo
Hunc dandī ventō vēla capit.Mercis amōre sacrae ductus, mox vendidit agnōs:
Sarcina palmārum crēditur empta marī.Quō ruis, infēlix? Immānibus obruit Austrīs
Aethera tempestas; alveus haurit aquās.Prōtinus infaustum dē puppī mittere pondus
Cōnstituit; tūtum vix tenet ipse locum.Postmodo mīrantī pontī placida aequora cuidam,
"Vult iterum palmās," inquit, "habēre meās." PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Pontus erat: iuxtā, Pastor ovēs laetās in agrīs pascēbat; fluctus placidus ubīque iacet. Dum Pastor mare tranquillum spectat, cupīdo vēsāna hunc capit ventō dandī vēla ratemque. Mercis sacrae amōre ductus, mox agnōs vendidit: palmārum sarcina, empta, marī crēditur. Quō ruis, infēlix? Tempestas aethera Austrīs immānibus obruit; alveus aquās haurit. Prōtinus Pastor cōnstituit pondus infaustum dē puppī mittere; ipse vix locum tūtum tenet. Postmodo inquit cuidam aequora pontī placida mīrantī: "Mare palmās meās habēre vult iterum."
STRESS (ACCENT) MARKS. Here is the prose text with accents, plus some color-coding for the words of three or more syllables (blue: penultimate stress; red: antepenultimate stress):
Pontus erat: iuxta, Pastor oves laetas in agris pascébat; fluctus plácidus ubíque iacet. Dum Pastor mare tranquíllum spectat, cupído vesána hunc capit vento dandi vela ratémque. Mercis sacrae amóre ductus, mox agnos véndidit: palmárum sárcina, empta, mari créditur. Quo ruis, infélix? Tempéstas aéthera Austris immánibus óbruit; álveus aquas haurit. Prótinus Pastor constítuit pondus infaústum de puppi míttere; ipse vix locum tutum tenet. Póstmodo inquit cuidam aéquora ponti plácida miránti: "Mare palmas meas habére vult íterum."
ELEGIAC COUPLET METER. Below I have used an interpunct dot · to indicate the metrical elements in each line, and a double line || to indicate the hemistichs of the pentameter line.
Pontus e·rat: iux·tā lae·tās pas·cēbat i·n agrīs
Pastor o·vēs; placi·dus || fluctus u·bīque ia·cet.Dum mare· tranquil·lum spec·tat, vē·sāna cu·pīdo
Hunc dan·dī ven·tō || vēla ra·temque ca·pit.Mercis a·mōre sa·crae duc·tus, mox· vendidit· agnōs:
Sarcina· palmā·rum || crēditur· empta ma·rī.Quō ruis,· infē·lix? Im·mānibus· obruit· Austrīs
Aethera· tempes·tas; || alveus· haurit aq·uās.Prōtinus· infaus·tum dē· puppī· mittere· pondus
Cōnstitu·it; tū·tum || vix tenet· ipse lo·cum.Postmodo· mīran·tī pon·tī placi·d~ aequora· cuidam,
Vult ite·rum pal·mās, || inquit, ha·bēre me·ās.IMAGE. Here's an illustration for the fable (image source), showing a deceptively calm sea:
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches: Pontus erat: iuxta, Pastor oves laetas in agris pascebat; fluctus placidus ubique iacet. Dum Pastor mare tranquillum spectat, cupido vesana hunc capit vento dandi vela ratemque. Mercis sacrae amore ductus, mox agnos vendidit: palmarum sarcina, empta, mari creditur. Quo ruis, infelix? Tempestas aethera Austris immanibus obruit; alveus aquas haurit. Protinus Pastor constituit pondus infaustum de puppi mittere; ipse vix locum tutum tenet. Postmodo inquit cuidam aequora ponti placida miranti: "Mare palmas meas habere vult iterum."
