The 'six-footers' isn't referring to height, but to verse. I think there was anagramming involved (I'm not doing the puzzle, just glanced at the clue!)
Enjoyable solve, a couple of words (like 15D and the six footer in 11D) needed looking up but managed to complete it in a couple of hours. Particular CODs 1A, 6A, 17A, 13D, 25A.