How does the "rebel" is different …

 The Rebel describes the character of a rebel, a person who does not conform to the norms of the society. The rebel is described as a person who would contradict others in order to be different. The character of the rebel in the poem is not based on a political activist, but seems to be a character sketch of a young adolescent, trying to be different. All the instances in the poem are repetitive affirmations of this fact.

If a rebel sees a group of people with short hair, he would let his hair grow long. On seeing others with long hair, the rebel would cut short his hair. Seeing everybody talk during the lesson, the rebel would become absolutely mute. On realizing that everybody is silent the rebel would create a disturbance.

Similarly, on various such issues, the rebel would be seen contradicting others and doing things that no one would be doing. He would refuse to wear the uniform when the others would be wearing it, praise the dogs when in the company of cat lovers, appreciate the sun on rainy days and rains on the sunny days. He would do just anything but not what others are doing.