Often in these cases, the final unstressed syllable can be a subtle sign that the speaker is off balance or uncertain.Hamilton, Essential Literary Terms (198-225) -- Jerz: EL150 (Intro to Literary Study)
Until this class, I never realized the importance of counting out the syllables in each line of poetry I read. Now, this does not mean that from now on I will stop after every line of poetry I read to count the syllables in that line, just to make sure the poet did not vary from his norm; however, I now can use this helpful tip from Sharon Hamiliton when I am reading poetry for more than just my simple enjoyment. I greatly appreciate this tip, too, because, although I enjoy reading poetry, I often have a harder time analyzing it than other literature.