The Two Towers has this interesting foreshadowing of the oliphaunts where Sam recites a peculiar rhyme about them while Smeagol guides the two hobbits to the gates of Mordor. after this passage Sam concludes that he will never see an oliphaunt and decides that they are but a myth.
Later, after being discovered by the men of Gondor, the hobbits see a real life oliphaunt being used in battle by the Haradrim.
I felt like this was a good example of how both Tolkien often foreshadows events in his writing as well as how even though a passage is not critical to the advancement of the plot it was left intentionally. The first rhyme about the oliphaunts spoken by Sam could have been left out completely and nothing would have changed.
The Sams reaction to seeing an oliphaunt just days after giving up hope that he will ever see one is priceless. I beleive that it adds to his character development and reminds the reader that Sam enjoys seeing new things and overall retains a positive outlook.
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