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:
Morbō gravātum Fēmina Marītum vidēns
Ācerrimō, ut quī iam ferē succumberet,
Lamentābātur: An meum poteris mihi,
Mors dūra, barbara, ēripere, ait, Coniugem?
Dēsiste, ah! vel sī victimam tibi dēnique
Mactārī oportet, victima ēn adest; venī.
Hīs excitāta questibus Mors advenit:
At trepida mulier: nōn, mē ut tolleret, ait,
Huc tē advocāvī; victimam cape, ēn iacet.
Magnifica verba vānus effundit dolor;
Praesēns perīclum vērās vōcēs exprimit.
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Fēmina, Marītum vidēns morbō ācerrimō gravātum, ut quī iam ferē succumberet, lamentābātur; ait: Mors dūra, barbara! An Coniugem meum mihi ēripere poteris? Dēsiste, ah! Vel sī tibi victimam mactārī dēnique oportet, ēn, victima adest; venī. Excitāta hīs questibus, Mors advenit: at mulier trepida ait: Tē huc advocāvī nōn ut mē tolleret; victimam cape, ēn iacet. Dolor vānus verba magnifica effundit; perīclum praesēns vōcēs vērās exprimit.
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):
Fémina, Marítum videns morbo acérrimo gravátum, ut qui iam fere succúmberet, lamentabátur; ait: Mors dura, bárbara! An Cóniugem meum mihi erípere póteris? Desíste, ah! Vel si tibi víctimam mactári dénique opórtet, en, víctima adest; veni. Excitáta his quéstibus, Mors ádvenit: at múlier trépida ait: Te huc advocávi non ut me tólleret; víctimam cape, en iacet. Dolor vanus verba magnífica effúndit; períclum praesens voces veras éxprimit.
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.
Morbō· gravā·tum Fē·mina Ma·rītum· vidēns
Ācer·rim~ ut· quī iam· ferē· succum·beret,
Lamen·tābā·tur: An· meum· poteris· mihi,
Mors dū·ra, bar·bar~ ē·riper~ a·it, Con·iugem?
Dēsis·t~ ah! vel· sī vic·timam· tibi dē·nique
Mactā·r~ opor·tet, vic·tim~ ēn· adest;· venī.
Hīs ex·citā·ta ques·tibus· Mors ad·venit:
At trepi·da muli·er: nōn,· m~ ut tol·leret,· ait,
Huc t~ ad·vocā·vī; vic·timam· cap~ ēn· iacet.
Magnifi·ca ver·ba vā·nus ef·fundit· dolor;
Praesēns· perī·clum vē·rās vō·cēs ex·primit.
IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing Death and a woman:
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Femina, Maritum videns morbo acerrimo gravatum, ut qui iam fere succumberet, lamentabatur; ait: Mors dura, barbara! An Coniugem meum mihi eripere poteris? Desiste, ah! Vel si tibi victimam mactari denique oportet, en, victima adest; veni. Excitata his questibus, Mors advenit: at mulier trepida ait: Te huc advocavi non ut me tolleret; victimam cape, en iacet. Dolor vanus verba magnifica effundit; periclum praesens voces veras exprimit.
