Although this specialized meter may have been the result of a recognized sub-genre of poetry, only a few fragments are extant from the Greek and Latin tradition prior to Catullus. In spite of the disappointing lack of evidence concerning the development of the meter, there are important observations which can be made about galliambics on the basis of Catullus' use of this interesting form of versification.
The verse employs a strong diaeresis (some metrical interpretations would make this break a caesura), dividing the line into two halves (two cola). The second half of the line appears to be a repeat of the first half with an ending that is catalectic, or incomplete. The two cola combine to form the standard verse, which comprises 69% of the verses in the poem (64/93). The usual resolution (substitution of two shorts for a long) in the second colon of the standard verse has the effect of speeding up the final half of the line, thereby creating an inherent contrast between the cola of the verse. Polysyllabic words with short syllables occur frequently in the second colon and contribute to the increase in speed. The conflict of word accent and metrical accent in the second colon after the relative coincidence in the first half of the line, and the chopped-off catalectic ending, add to the chaotic feel of the second colon.
The orchestration of the poem can be seen by tracing Catullus's calculating use of both his standard line and the variations as his music creates an auditory dimension to the physical and psychological drama of Carmen 63. The regular beat establishes a standard line from which variations can create even more emotionally charged verses through speedier, more frenzied meters, or on occasion slower, more sombre metrical combinations.