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:
Rusticus assiduo terram vertēbat arātrō;
At dedit haud cēnsum dīvitiasque labor.Intereā, ad patriam Mīles post bella reversus
Quam lautus vīvat, quō sit honōre, videt.Indignans fātō, bona mancipat omnia; Martis
Instruitur tēlīs Mīlitiamque petit.Sub duce pugnātum est laevō; mala vulnera passus,
Cum clypeī damnō Mīles equīque fugit.Mīlitiā fessus, pontum dein nāvita tentat;
Prōvehitur curva per freta longa rate:Ātra ruit subitō tempestas; flūmine puppis
Vincitur: et merces unda virumque vorat. PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Rusticus arātrō assiduo terram vertēbat; at labor cēnsum et dīvitias haud dedit. Intereā, Mīles post bella ad patriam reversus: videt quam lautus vīvat, quō honōre sit. Fātō indignans, bona omnia mancipat; Martis tēlīs instruitur et Mīlitiam petit. Sub duce laevō pugnātum est; mala vulnera passus, Mīles cum clypeī et equī damnō fugit. Mīlitiā fessus, dein nāvita pontum tentat; per freta longa rate curva prōvehitur: subitō tempestas ātra ruit; puppis flūmine vincitur: et unda merces et virum vorat.
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):
Rústicus áratro assíduo terram vertébat; at labor censum et divítias haud dedit. Intérea, Miles post bella ad pátriam revérsus: videt quam lautus vivat, quo honóre sit. Fato indígnans, bona omnia máncipat; Martis telis instrúitur et Milítiam petit. Sub duce laevo pugnátum est; mala vúlnera passus, Miles cum clýpei et equi damno fugit. Milítia fessus, dein návita pontum tentat; per freta longa rate curva provéhitur: súbito tempéstas atra ruit; puppis flúmine víncitur: et unda merces et virum vorat.
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.
Rusticus· assidu·o ter·ram ver·tēbat a·rātrō;
At dedit· haud cēn·sum || dīviti·asque la·bor.Intere~, ad patri·am Mī·les post· bella re·versus
Quam lau·tus vī·vat, || quō sit ho·nōre, vi·det.Indig·nans fā·tō, bona· mancipat· omnia;· Martis
Instrui·tur tē·līs || Mīliti·amque pe·tit.Sub duce· pugnā·t~ est lae·vō; mala· vulnera· passus,
Cum clype·ī dam·nō || Mīles e·quīque fu·git.Mīliti·ā fes·sus, pon·tum dein· nāvita· tentat;
Prōvehi·tur cur·va || per freta· longa ra·te:Ātra ru·it subi·tō tem·pestas;· flūmine· puppis
Vincitur:· et mer·ces || unda vi·rumque vo·rat.IMAGE. Here's an illustration for the fable (image source) showing the wreck of a ship at sea:
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches: Rusticus aratro assiduo terram vertebat; at labor censum et divitias haud dedit. Interea, Miles post bella ad patriam reversus: videt quam lautus vivat, quo honore sit. Fato indignans, bona omnia mancipat; Martis telis instruitur et Militiam petit. Sub duce laevo pugnatum est; mala vulnera passus, Miles cum clypei et equi damno fugit. Militia fessus, dein navita pontum tentat; per freta longa rate curva provehitur: subito tempestas atra ruit; puppis flumine vincitur: et unda merces et virum vorat.
