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:
Pāpiliō vespam praetervolitāns vīderat:
"Ō sortem inīquam! Dum vīvēbant corpora,
quōrum ex reliquiīs animam nōs accēpimus,
ego ēloquēns in pāce, fortis proeliīs,
arte omnī prīnceps inter aequālēs fuī;
ēn cūncta! levitās putris et volitō cinis!
Tū, quī fuistī mūlus clītellārius,
quemcumque vīsum est laedis īnfīxō aculeō."
At vespa dīgnam memoriā vōcem ēdidit:
"Nōn quī fuerimus, sed quī nunc sīmus, vidē."
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Pāpiliō, praetervolitāns, vespam vīderat: "Ō sortem inīquam! Dum corpora vīvēbant, quōrum ex reliquiīs nōs animam accēpimus, ego in pāce ēloquēns fuī, proeliīs fortis, arte omnī prīnceps inter aequālēs; ēn cūncta! levitās putris et cinis volitō! Tū, quī mūlus clītellārius fuistī, quemcumque vīsum est laedis aculeō īnfīxō." At vespa vōcem memoriā dīgnam ēdidit: "Nōn quī fuerimus, sed quī nunc sīmus, vidē."
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):
Papílio, praetervólitans, vespam víderat: "O sortem iníquam! Dum córpora vivébant, quorum ex relíquiis nos ánimam accépimus, ego in pace éloquens fui, proéliis fortis, arte omni princeps inter aequáles; en cuncta! lévitas putris et cinis vólito! Tu, qui mulus clitellárius fuísti, quemcúmque visum est laedis acúleo infíxo." At vespa vocem memória dignam édidit: "Non qui fuérimus, sed qui nunc simus, vide."
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.
Pāpili·ō ves·pam prae·tervoli·tāns vī·derat:
"Ō sor·t~ inī·quam! Dum· vīvē·bant cor·pora,
quōr~ ex· reliqui·īs ani·mam nōs· accē·pimus,
eg~ ē·loquēns· in pā·ce, for·tis proe·liīs,
art~ om·nī prīn·ceps in·ter ae·quālēs· fuī;
ēn cūnc·ta! levi·tās put·ris et ·volitō· cinis!
Tū, quī· fuis·tī mū·lus clī·tellā·rius,
quemcum·que vī·s~ est lae·dis īn·fīx~ acu·leō."
At ves·pa dīg·nam memo·riā· vōc~ ē·didit:
"Nōn quī· fueri·mus, sed· quī nunc· sīmus,· vidē."
IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing a wasp and a butterfly!
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Papilio, praetervolitans, vespam viderat: "O sortem iniquam! Dum corpora vivebant, quorum ex reliquiis nos animam accepimus, ego in pace eloquens fui, proeliis fortis, arte omni princeps inter aequales; en cuncta! levitas putris et cinis volito! Tu, qui mulus clitellarius fuisti, quemcumque visum est laedis aculeo infixo." At vespa vocem memoria dignam edidit: "Non qui fuerimus, sed qui nunc simus, vide."
