Doing a thing because that's how it's always been done sounds like stagnation to me. The purpose of meter is to make it flow well when you say it out loud. And rhyming, idk, it has a pleasant quality to it too. But if you don't care for these things, then don't force yourself into it.

Consider cooking. Certainly cooking has a lot of "tropes". And that's because they are tried and true methods of making it taste well. In addition I think you will all recognize the "Appetizer, Main, Dessert". Is that a method of "manipulating you" into enjoying your food? Yes it is! And that's why we love it.