[Perry James]

I understand meter pretty well, but there is still one situation which I am unclear on.

This line ...

and a German soldier directing him

... has ten syllables, but there is no way to make it iambic pentameter, is there? In my opinion, it is wrong to do this:

and a / GER man / SOL dier/ di RECT / ing HIM

That first foot (a pyrrhic) is "illegal" because neither syllable can take a theoretical stress. Indeed, the line has only four syllables that can take a stress, so the line has to be counted as tetrameter, doesn't it?

In my view, the only way to scan that line is like this:

and a GER / man SOL / dier di RECT / ing HIM

... with two anapests as substutions for iambs.

(If anyone answers this, I'll respond this evening. Did I post it in the right forum?)