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:
Vexārent morbī cum saeva perīcula Corvum,
Spēs sua cuī vītae paene cadūca fuit:Prō mē, māter, ait, dīvōs venerābere vōtīs,
Addereque hīs lacrimīs experiēre modum.Cuī sīc fāta parēns: ego nullō nūmine spērem
Admittente meās posse valēre precēs.Quod tū nōn veritus sīs exercēre rapīnās,
Victima Diīs quotiēs ulla cremāta fuit.Plūribus obfuerit quī, dum sors laeta manēbat,
Rēbus in adversīs ecquis adesse volet? PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Cum perīcula morbī saeva corvum vexārent, cuī spēs vītae sua paene cadūca fuit, ait: "Māter, vōtīs prō mē dīvōs venerābere et modum lacrimīs hīs addere experiēre." Parēns sīc corvō fāta: "Admittente nūmine nullō ego spērem precēs meās valēre posse, quod tū nōn veritus sīs rapīnās exercēre, quotiēs victima ulla Diīs cremāta fuit." Quī, dum sors laeta manēbat, plūribus obfuerit, ecquis eī adesse volet in rēbus adversīs?
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):
Cum perícula morbi saeva corvum vexárent, cui spes vitae sua paene cadúca fuit, ait: "Mater, votis pro me divos venerábere et modum lácrimis his áddere experiére." Parens sic corvo fata: "Admitténte númine nullo ego sperem preces meas valére posse, quod tu non véritus sis rapínas exercére, quóties víctima ulla Diis cremáta fuit." Qui, dum sors laeta manébat, plúribus obfúerit, ecquis ei adésse volet in rebus advérsis?
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.
Vexā·rent mor·bī cum· saeva pe·rīcula· Corvum,
Spēs sua· cuī vī·tae || paene ca·dūca fu·it:Prō mē, māter, a·it, dī·vōs vene·rābere ·vōtīs,
Addere·qu~ hīs lacri·mīs || experi·ēre mo·dum.Cuī sīc fāta pa·rēns: ego· nullō· nūmine· spērem
Admit·tente me·ās || posse va·lēre pre·cēs.Quod tū· nōn veri·tus sīs· exer·cēre ra·pīnās,
Victima ·Diīs quoti·ēs || ulla cre·māta fu·it.Plūribus· obfue·rit quī,· dum sors· laeta ma·nēbat,
Rēbus in· adver·sīs || ecquis a·desse vo·let?Here is the illustration of the fable by Francis Barlow - this shows an ailing kite, not a crow (image source):
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches: Cum pericula morbi saeva corvum vexarent, cui spes vitae sua paene caduca fuit, ait: "Mater, votis pro me divos venerabere et modum lacrimis his addere experiere." Parens sic corvo fata: "Admittente numine nullo ego sperem preces meas valere posse, quod tu non veritus sis rapinas exercere, quoties victima ulla Diis cremata fuit." Qui, dum sors laeta manebat, pluribus obfuerit, ecquis ei adesse volet in rebus adversis?
