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, assiduō Cererem quī mōre colēbat,
Hanc tālem stolidō flāgitat ōre Deam:Quae careant frūmenta sibī prōdūcat aristīs,
Ēlīdī paleīs sīc cito posse putat.Sed sua iam segetī post quam mātūruit aetas,
Indefēnsa petunt grāna frequenter avēs.Excussēre suīs ea sponte sequentia rōstrīs,
Et fēcēre famē saepe iubente cibum.Vōta probant stultās hominum temerāria mentēs,
Dēsipiunt, haec quī nōn cohibēre solent.Saepe quis imprūdēns spē commoda parva sequendī,
In mala damnōsō plēna labōre ruit.PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Rusticus, quī mōre assiduō Cererem colēbat, hanc tālem Deam flāgitat ōre stolidō: prōdūcat frūmenta quae sibī aristīs careant; putat paleīs sīc cito ēlīdī posse. Sed post quam sua aetas segetī iam mātūruit, avēs grāna indefēnsa frequenter petunt; rōstrīs suīs sequentia ea sponte excussēre, et, famē saepe iubente, cibum fēcēre. hominum vōta temerāria mentēs stultās probant; dēsipiunt, quī haec cohibēre nōn solent. saepe quis imprūdēns, spē commoda parva sequendī, in mala ruit, labōre damnōsō plēna.
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, qui more assíduo Cérerem colébat, hanc talem Deam flágitat ore stólido: prodúcat fruménta quae sibi arístis cáreant; putat páleis sic cito elídi posse. Sed post quam sua aetas ségeti iam matúruit, aves grana indefénsa frequénter petunt; rostris suis sequéntia ea sponte excússere, et, fame saepe iubénte, cibum fecére. Hóminum vota temerária mentes stultas probant; desípiunt, qui haec cohibére non solent. Saepe quis imprúdens, spe cómmoda parva sequéndi, in mala ruit, labóre damnóso plena.
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·ō Cere·rem quī ·mōre co·lēbat,
Hanc tā·lem stoli·dō || flāgitat· ōre De·am:Quae care·ant frū·menta si·bī prō·dūcat a·ristīs,
Ēlī·dī pale·īs || sīc cito ·posse pu·tat.Sed sua ·iam sege·tī post· quam mā·tūruit ·aetas,
Inde·fēnsa pe·tunt || grāna fre·quenter a·vēs.Excus·sēre su·īs ea ·sponte se·quentia ·rōstrīs,
Et fē·cēre fa·mē || saepe iu·bente ci·bum.Vōta pro·bant stul·tās homi·num teme·rāria ·mentēs,
Dēsipi·unt, haec· quī || nōn cohi·bēre so·lent.Saepe quis· imprū·dēns spē ·commoda ·parva se·quendī,
In mala· damnō·sō || plēna la·bōre ru·it.IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing the naturally prickly ears of wheat!
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches: Rusticus, qui more assiduo Cererem colebat, hanc talem Deam flagitat ore stolido: producat frumenta quae sibi aristis careant; putat paleis sic cito elidi posse. Sed post quam sua aetas segeti iam maturuit, aves grana indefensa frequenter petunt; rostris suis sequentia ea sponte excussere, et, fame saepe iubente, cibum fecere. hominum vota temeraria mentes stultas probant; desipiunt, qui haec cohibere non solent. saepe quis imprudens, spe commoda parva sequendi, in mala ruit, labore damnoso plena.
