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:
Horrida cum Rānā Mūs ōlim bella gerēbat;
Praemia bellōrum rēgna palūdis erant.Iamque diū pugnant; vehemēns certāmen et anceps:
Tractaque erant longā bella propinqua morā.Callidus in stipulīs latuit Mūs; inde parāvit
Īnsidiās; cōram cuspide Rāna petit.Iuncea cuspis erat bellantibus. Exitus illīs
Stat tamen in dubiō; dēnique fīnis adest.Scīlicet incautōs commūnis ab aethere cernit
Hostis; et approperāns Milvus utrumque rapit. PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Ōlim Mūs cum Rānā bella horrida gerēbat; praemia bellōrum rēgna palūdis erant. Et iam diū pugnant: certāmen vehemēns et anceps erat, et bella propinqua erant, morā longā tracta. Mūs callidus in stipulīs latuit; inde īnsidiās parāvit. Cōram, Rāna Murem cuspide petit; bellantibus iuncea cuspis erat. Exitus tamen illīs in dubiō stat; dēnique fīnis adest: scīlicet Milvus, hostis commūnis, ab aethere incautōs cernit et, approperāns, utrumque rapit.
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):
Olim Mus cum Rana bella hórrida gerébat; praémia bellórum regna palúdis erant. Et iam diu pugnant: certámen véhemens et anceps erat, et bella propínqua erant, mora longa tracta. Mus cállidus in stípulis látuit; inde insídias parávit. Coram, Rana Murem cúspide petit; bellántibus iúncea cuspis erat. Éxitus tamen illis in dúbio stat; dénique finis adest: scílicet Milvus, hostis commúnis, ab aéthere incaútos cernit et, appróperans, utrúmque rapit.
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.
Horrida· cum Rā·nā Mūs· ōlim· bella ge·rēbat;
Praemia· bellō·rum || rēgna pa·lūdis e·rant.Iamque di·ū pug·nant vehe·mēns cer·tāmen et· anceps
Tractaqu~ e·rant lon·gā || bella pro·pinqua mo·rā.Callidus· in stipu·līs latu·it Mūs;· inde pa·rāvit
Īnsidi·ās; cō·ram || cuspide· Rāna pe·tit.Iuncea· cuspis e·rat bel·lantibus.· Exitus· illīs
Stat tamen· in dubi·ō; || dēnique· fīnis ad·est.Scīlicet· incau·tōs com·mūnis a·b aethere· cernit
Hostis; et· apprope·rāns || Milvus u·trumque ra·pit.IMAGE. Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow:
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Olim Mus cum Rana bella horrida gerebat; praemia bellorum regna paludis erant. Et iam diu pugnant: certamen vehemens et anceps erat, et bella propinqua erant, mora longa tracta. Mus callidus in stipulis latuit; inde insidias paravit. Coram, Rana Murem cuspide petit; bellantibus iuncea cuspis erat. Exitus tamen illis in dubio stat; denique finis adest: scilicet Milvus, hostis communis, ab aethere incautos cernit et, approperans, utrumque rapit.
