"Why I Am Not a Painter" is written in free verse and divided into an introductory stanza of three lines, followed by two stanzas of thirteen lines each. While free verse, which has no regular meter or line length, has been the most common form of twentieth-century poetry, what made this poem—and O'Hara's work in general—stand out in the 1950s is the degree of freedom with which O'Hara wrote his poetry. As it was, O'Hara disliked many of the most common poetic qualities and techniques.

In "Personism: A Manifesto," O'Hara went so far as to say, "I don't even like rhythm, assonance, all that stuff. You just go on your nerve." This does not mean O'Hara did not use rhythm; he just preferred the rhythm of natural conversation. Thus, within "Why I Am Not a Painter," O'Hara presents what can be laid out as actual dialogue...