Here's why:
* Iambic pentameter is the most common. This meter, with its alternating unstressed and stressed syllables, is the backbone of traditional English poetry, especially Shakespearean sonnets and many other forms.
* Dactylic meter is less common. While it exists, it's used less frequently than iambic pentameter. It involves a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables.
* Other meters are also used. Poetry employs various meters, including:
* Trochaic (stressed-unstressed)
* Anapestic (unstressed-unstressed-stressed)
* Spondaic (stressed-stressed)
The popularity of a meter depends on the language, the era, and the specific poetic form. For example, while iambic pentameter is dominant in English, other meters are common in other languages, like dactylic hexameter in ancient Greek poetry.