adrianus wrote:dactyl | spondee | dactyl | spondee | dactyl | spondee
= six feet divided into three pairs (of dactyl | spondee) signifying a triplet (three people, Laocoon and sons, being tied up one after the other).
Words flow across (span the divisions between) the first five feet like a snake, but "et jam" sounds like a conclusive thump thump to put the lid on, i.e., "all done", according to Jordan.
Funny thing, I had observed the same "snaking" effect of the verses but missed the triplet organization. Nice catch.
However, I don't read 'et iam' as a tub-thumping end-stop. The literal sense and the impetus in the recitation continues into the following line. Nothing kills Latin poetry faster than reading end-stops to every line. I hear/read 'et iam' as rhythmic pick-up beats that emphasize the first 'bis', the second of which receives further emphasis by position
How I set out this passage for recitation :
Post ipsum auxilio subeuntem ac tela ferentem corripiunt,
spirisque ligant ingentibus,
et iam bis medium amplexi,
bis collo squamea cirum terga dati,
superant capite et cervicibus altis.
Note which words receive emphasis by position in the recitation. Caesura and elision are un-noted above but observed in the reading, and the play of quantity, accent, enjambment, and other effects illustrate Vergil's mastery. This passage is a good example of why I love to read Latin poetry.
Best,
dp
Similis sum folio de quo ludunt venti.