“Totally like whatever, you know?” by Taylor Mali suggests that post modern teenagers no longer have the same confidence or articulation when they speak, and that they lack the qualities of a favorable leader. He wants to expose our foolishness; the fact that we no longer have our own sense of authority when speaking. This poem is intended for teenagers. The language in both the title and the poem itself suggests this, by using words such as you know and whatever. These are generally not words used by adults. The poem addresses the errors in the ways that we portray our thoughts through words. We don’t have the confidence to stand up for our beliefs anymore, due to the fear of being wrong. It shows the gap that has been created between our