Poem # 3

Hazel Tells Laverne by Katharyn Howd Machan was probably one of my favorite poems of this unit. I loved how improper and uneducated Hazel was, I found it humorous. I loved the take of "The Frog Prince" in this poem. I realized that Hazel was a hotel cleaner from the alliteration of "howard johnson ladies room" [Machan]. In the real story, Hazel is poor but does not work for a hotel. This take seems more modern and of a southern uneducated person. In the Disney movie, Hazel is actually black. Is Hazel black in this poem? This poem could be symbolic of a very matter-of-fact person. Hazel did not kiss the prince. In the real story, Hazel kisses the frog and converts the frog into a prince. What happened to that part of the story? We can't have a frog prince story without a prince!