Hazel Tells LaVerne- Katharyn Howd Machon (diction)

"up pops this frog/musta come from the sewer/swimmin aroun an tryin ta/ climb up the sida the bowl/so i goes ta flushm down..."

The use of diction in this poem effectively characterizes the speaker. It is evident from the word choice that the speaker is uneducated. She speaks with short words. The word choice is also informal. The diction also influences the mood. The mood is easy going and lighthearted. The speaker is simply telling a story about what happened to her. She tells the story using words that she would use in conversation. The diction also gives background information about the speaker. In the beginning, it says that she was cleaning out the bathroom which hints that she is a janitor. She does not have a very high-up job. This could mean that she is an immigrant because she speaks in broken English. The diction also provides some exaggeration in that the story is not realistic.