It means that even it everyone is doing something wrong, it is not right. It is referring to peer pressure, don't do something just because everyone else it doing it.
From everything I could find it was Carl himself, But if you heard the poem online somewhere it could've been anywhere. Where did you hear it?
Honestly if the first chapter does not grab my attention, I do not want to read the rest of the book. I want to be interested in what I am reading. If it is something that I hate, obviously I will be miserable reading the book.
Deafening silence, seriously funny, living dead.
The answer to this question would be:
Figurative Language
Hope this helps!
