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 iambic meter. You will find materials for all of these options below. :-)
VERSE MACRONS. Here is the verse text with macrons:
Virum ērudītum, cum suīs solum librīs
Bene ōtiantem, quīdam adīvit Troffulus
Petulanter, ut fit, irrīdendī grātiā,
Bellōs quod hominēs sīc perōsus scīlicet,
Vītam infacētīs sōlus in tenebrīs agat.
At ille: Numquam meminī mē, dīxit, magis
Fuisse sōlum, quam cum nunc mēcum hīc adēs.
Sī tantum ineptus, nec etiam fuerit malus,
Nihilī mēnsūram Troffulus tōtam rēplet.
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Cum Troffulus quīdam petulanter adīvit virum ērudītum, librīs suīs bene ōtiantem, solum, irrīdendī grātiā, ut fit, scīlicet quod hominēs bellōs sīc perōsus, in tenebrīs infacētīs vītam agat, sōlus. At ille dīxit: Numquam meminī mē magis sōlum fuisse, quam nunc cum hīc mēcum adēs. Sī tantum ineptus, nec etiam fuerit malus, Troffulus mēnsūram tōtam nihilī rēplet.
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 Tróffulus quidam petulánter adívit virum erudítum, libris suis bene otiántem, solum, irridéndi grátia, ut fit, scílicet quod hómines bellos sic perósus, in ténebris infacétis vitam agat, solus. At ille dixit: Numquam mémini me magis solum fuísse, quam nunc cum hic mecum ades. Si tantum inéptus, nec étiam fúerit malus, Tróffulus mensúram totam níhili replet.
IAMBIC METER. Here is the verse text with some color coding to assist in the iambic meter. The disyllabic elements (iambs/spondees) are not marked, but the trisyllabic elements are color-coded: dactyls are red, anapests are purple, and tribrachs are green (as is any proceleusmaticus, although that is a rare creature); for more information, here are some Notes on Iambic Meter.
Vir~ ē·rudī·tum, cum· suīs· solum· librīs
Ben~ ō·tian·tem, quī·d~ adī·vit Trof·fulus
Petulan·ter, ut· fit, ir·rīden·tī grā·tia,
Bellōs· quod homi·nēs sīc· perō·sus scī·licet,
Vīt~ in·facē·tīs sō·lus in ·tenebrīs· agat.
At il·le: Num·quam memi·nī mē,· dīxit,· magis
Fuis·se sō·lum, quam· cum nunc· mēc~ hīc· adēs.
Sī tan·t~ inep·tus, nec e·tiam· fuerit· malus,
Nihilī· mēnsū·ram Trof·fulus· tōtam· rēplet.
IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source), showing Rembrandt's depiction of a scholar:
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Cum Troffulus quidam petulanter adivit virum eruditum, libris suis bene otiantem, solum, irridendi gratia, ut fit, scilicet quod homines bellos sic perosus, in tenebris infacetis vitam agat, solus. At ille dixit: Numquam memini me magis solum fuisse, quam nunc cum hic mecum ades. Si tantum ineptus, nec etiam fuerit malus, Troffulus mensuram totam nihili replet.
