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An answer to that question really requires that you also ask why someone should write poetry at all? Why not just write paragraphs and say the same thing? The simple answer is that it wouldn’t be poetry, it wouldn’t have the same impact and it probably wouldn’t have the same meaning to each person who reads it.

To understand, “Why does Shakespeare use iambic pentameter?” it’s important to understand that poetic forms and rhythms aren’t there to limit the writer. They are there to help shape the writer’s words into something better, and to make them mean more together than they do apart. Think of someone using a set of paint-by-numbers. You wouldn’t look at their canvas and ask why there was a drawing and what all those numbers mean. It’s clear that they’re there so the artist can create something in a pleasing shape with the right color combinations. The lines and numbers help you create a beautiful picture.

Through iambic pentameter,  Shakespeare or any other poet accomplishes the same purpose. They help shape their thoughts and words into a pleasing form that’s easier for other people to see, understand and appreciate. The melodic tones of the voice speaking lines in a poetic meter captures the attention of the audience, and holds them in its rhythm while the poet’s point is communicated.

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” from a famous Shakespeare sonnet would have far less impact if he had pushed aside the idea of iambic pentameter and written, “Should I look at you and compare you to an afternoon in the summer time?” As you can see, the way Shakespeare wrote it is by far the better line of poetry. And if you use a paint-by-numbers set, following their color choices or similar ones, and staying within the lines will help you produce a much better picture than if you neglected that framework and just start slapping paint on the paper.