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:
Languentem seniō cum mors vīcīna manēret
Agricolam, sobolēs cuī numerōsa fuit:Et vexāre frequēns hanc mūtua rixa solēret,
Ipse modō talī conciliāre parat:Vīmine connexās in fascem frangere virgās
Praecipit, at vīs hās frangere nulla potest.Ille datam cuīvīs ūnam tum frangere virgam
Iussit, at haec nullō fracta labōre fuit.Firma docēns hōc quam rēs sit concordia factō,
Distractōsque iuvent rōbora parva virōs.Praebet ut hūmānīs vīrēs concordia rēbus,
Sic horum discors robore vita caret.PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Cum mors vīcīna Agricolam manēret, languentem seniō, cuī sobolēs numerōsa fuit, et mūtua rixa frequēns hanc sobolem vexāre solēret, ipse conciliāre parat modō talī: praecipit virgās frangere, vīmine in fascem connexās, at vīs nulla hās frangere potest. Ille tum frangere iussit ūnam virgam, datam cuīvīs, at haec fracta fuit, labōre nullō - hōc factō docēns quam firma rēs concordia sit, et rōbora parva distractōs virōs iuvent; ut concordia vīrēs praebet hūmānīs rēbus, sic horum discors vita robore caret.
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 mors vicína Agrícolam manéret, languéntem sénio, cui sóboles numerósa fuit, et mútua rixa frequens hanc sóbolem vexáre soléret, ipse conciliáre parat modo tali: praécipit virgas frángere, vímine in fascem connéxas, at vis nulla has frángere potest. Ille tum frángere iussit unam virgam, datam cuivis, at haec fracta fuit, labóre nullo - hoc facto docens quam firma res concórdia sit, et róbora parva distráctos viros iuvent; ut concórdia vires praebet humánis rebus, sic horum discors vita róbore caret.
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.
Languen·tem seni·ō cum ·mors vī·cīna ma·nēret
Agrico·lam, sobo·lēs || cuī nume·rōsa fu·it:Et vex·āre fre·quēns hanc ·mūtua ·rixa so·lēret,
Ipse mo·dō ta·lī || concili·āre pa·rat:Vīmine· connex·ās in ·fascem ·frangere ·virgās
Praecipit, ·at vīs ·hās || frangere ·nulla po·test.Ille da·tam cuī·vīs ū·nam tum· frangere ·virgam
Iussit, at· haec nul·lō || fracta la·bōre fu·it.Firma do·cēns hōc· quam rēs· sit con·cordia· factō,
Distrac·tōsque iu·vent || rōbora ·parva vi·rōs.Praebet ut ·hūmā·nīs vī·rēs con·cordia ·rēbus,
Sic ho·rum dis·cors || robore· vita ca·ret.IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the fable by Francis Barlow:
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches: Cum mors vicina Agricolam maneret, languentem senio, cui soboles numerosa fuit, et mutua rixa frequens hanc sobolem vexare soleret, ipse conciliare parat modo tali: praecipit virgas frangere, vimine in fascem connexas, at vis nulla has frangere potest. Ille tum frangere iussit unam virgam, datam cuivis, at haec fracta fuit, labore nullo - hoc facto docens quam firma res concordia sit, et robora parva distractos viros iuvent; ut concordia vires praebet humanis rebus, sic horum discors vita robore caret.
