What is the most common meter used in poetry, and why do authors choose to use it in writing poetry?

The most
common meter used in poetry is iambic pentameter (penta=five). Poets choose to use this meter
when writing poetry because it gives the poem a strong underlying structure as a formal writing
device. Iambic pentameter can be rhymed or unrhymed. In the case of unrhymed it is called
.

For iambic pentameter, a line consists of five feet. A metrical foot in
poetry goes by the name iamb. An iamb typically consists of one unstressed syllable and then a
stressed syllable. There are variations of iambs that can be used in a poem so as to break up
what sometimes can be a monotonous beat to a poem, especially if it is a long one.

This monotony can hypnotize a reader who can end up concentrating on the regularity of
the beat of the poem and end up not paying attention to the words and the message being
conveyed. You can liken this to listening to a tune on the radio with a steady unvarying beat,
and tapping your feet but not really paying attention to the words.

Variations to the unstressed/stressed paradigm include trochees, anapests, dactyls, and
spondees. For example, an anapest consists of two unstressed syllables and one stressed
syllable. Therefore, the poems beat and rhythm is altered, which makes for a pleasant variation
for the poems reader.

Iambic pentameter does have a regularity to it, which
gives a poem a more formal tone and sophistication. It moves a poem along nicely and
systematically and imparts a musicality and rhythm to a poem. This is why it was and still is
popular. In fact, literary journals exist that are devoted entirely to formal poetry writing as
opposed to .

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