This meter is sung improvisationally. Each line has ten syllables, which is broken into two parts, the first with four syllables and the second with six. An important rule for this meter is that syllables three and four must belong to the same word. That word can be disyllabic or trisyllabic. The same rule applies to the nineth and tenth syllables. The use of stock phrases makes improvising with this form easier for the participants. We applied this meter to English, and wrote some verse in class:
Hasty people travel in the subway
old bums begging for change in the subway
hasty people who won't pay attention
big rats scurry around hasty people
Our topic was New York city, and our stock phrases were 'hasty people' and 'in the subway' It works out nicely to have the phrases be four syllables long, because then they can go into either the first or the second part of the line. Anyway, this was a fun meter to study. If you feel inspired to write a little in this meter, please post it as a comment- that would be fun :-)
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