I have to agree with Jay that the trickiness lies in the spondees--both in creating them and in hearing them. How does one make them so definitely equal, at least in the opening lines, that it's absolutely clear one intends alcaics? And since we're so conditioned to hear up-and-down alteration in English poetry, how do we know not to?
I would start on attempts to answer this if today weren't such a tense day. Since I'm a little constrained, perhaps someone else would like to....?
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