Syllable counting is a way of shaping a poem by keeping the number of syllables in each line or stanza under control. In syllabic verse, the poet focuses on the total number of syllables rather than stress patterns; in meter, syllables are counted as part of a regular rhythm based on stressed and unstressed beats. Poets use syllable counting to give a poem a precise, deliberate structure.
Example
Five syllables here
then seven in the middle line
and five to close it