Yes, the first line is ambiguous, though I would pick trochaic tetrameter as the more likely candidate. If the next line starts with a dactyl followed by trochees, as the author would wish, then the trochee would indeed be the dominant foot, and initial stress the rhythmic principle. But Solan is asking readers to go against the grain of the language in that second line, and it just won't happen. Meter cannot be arbitrarily designated; it is inherent in English pronunciation.
A.S.
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