The poem uses repetition to emphasize the speaker’s selfish and self-destructive actions. For example, the root word “steal” appears three times in the poem (four including the title). The poem also includes slang synonyms for “steal,” such as “pinch” and “nicked.” The repetition of the word “steal,” along with its synonyms, suggests how habitually and casually the speaker takes from other people.
The poem also repeats the word “I” throughout, in statements like “I wanted,” “I started,” and “I watch.” The repetition of “I” and the parallel structure of these statements emphasize just how self-absorbed the speaker is, centering the speaker's perspective and experience throughout.
The speaker uses more direct moments of repetition as well. Note the polyptoton in line 21, for example:
Boredom. Mostly I'm so bored I could eat myself.
This repetition emphasizes the speaker's "boredom," adding a sense of monotony to the line itself.
Finally, the speaker uses epizeuxis when describing kicking the snowman apart:
and booted him. Again. Again. My breath ripped out
This repetition evokes the speaker’s intense anger and aggression. Given that the snowman is a mirror of the speaker themselves, this moment more broadly implies that the speaker feels a great deal of self-loathing.