Question

The smell of medicine is strong,

And mother's time is spent
In rubbing father's arms and back
With burning liniment1
5 The house is like a druggist's shop;
Strong odors fill the hall,
And day and night we hear him groan,
Since father played baseball.

He's forty past, but he declared
10 That he was young as ever;
And in his youth, he said, he was
A baseball player clever.
So when the business men arranged
A game, they came to call
15 On dad and asked him if he thought
That he could play baseball.

"I haven't played in fifteen years,"
Said father, "but I know
That I can stop the grounders hot,
20 And I can make the throw.
I used to play a corking game;
The curves, I know them all;
And you can count on me, you bet,
To join your game of ball."

25 On Saturday the game was played,
And all of us were there;
Dad borrowed an old uniform,
That Casey used to wear.
He paid three dollars for a glove,
30 Wore spikes to save a fall
He had the grease paint on all right,
When father played baseball.

At second base they stationed him;
A liner came his way;
35 Dad tried to stop it with his knee,
And missed a double play.
He threw into the bleachers twice,
He let a pop fly fall;
Oh, we were all ashamed of him,
40 When father played baseball.

He tried to run, but tripped and fell,
He tried to take a throw;
It put three fingers out of joint,
And father let it go.
45 He stopped a grounder with his face;
Was spiked, nor was that all;
It looked to us to hurt a lot,
When father played baseball.

At last he limped away, and now
50 He suffers in disgrace;
His arms are bathed in liniment;
Bandages hide his face.
He says his back is breaking, and
His legs won't move at all;
55 It made a wreck of father when
He tried to play baseball.

The smell of medicine abounds;
He hobbles with a cane;
A row of blisters mar his hands;
60 He is in constant pain.
But lame and weak as father is,
He swears he'll lick us all
If we dare even speak about
The day he played baseball.
Adapted from "When Father Played Baseball" by Edgar Albert Guest from Just Folks. Copyright 1917 by The Reilly & Britton Co.

1liniment—an oil or lotion used to soothe sprains

Question
Part A

How does the poet develop the father’s point of view regarding his baseball abilities after the game is played?

Responses

The poet communicates the father’s pride after finishing the game.
The poet communicates the father’s pride after finishing the game.

The poet illustrates the father’s annoyance at his family for making fun of him.
The poet illustrates the father’s annoyance at his family for making fun of him.

The poet illustrates how the father was injured both physically and emotionally.
The poet illustrates how the father was injured both physically and emotionally.

The poet communicates how the father regrets playing the game.
The poet communicates how the father regrets playing the game.

Answer 1

The poet illustrates the father's physical and emotional injuries following his attempt to play baseball, showing his physical discomfort and wounded pride through vivid descriptions and his own defiant words. THe correct option is the poet illustrates how the father was injured both physically and emotionally.

Step-by-step explanation:

The poet illustrates how the father was injured both physically and emotionally after his attempt to play baseball. Despite his initial confidence and assertion that he could still play the game at an older age, the aftermath shows him suffering from physical injuries and enduring the embarrassment of his failed performance.

The father's experience is conveyed vividly through descriptions of the liniment used to soothe his sprains, the bandages hiding his face, and the overall aura of medicine filling the house, serving as evidence of his physical hardships.

Moreover, the father's strong reaction to any reference to the day he played baseball showcases his emotional injury and bruised pride. He remains defiant in the face of his family's unspoken criticism, swearing to 'lick us all' if they dare speak of the game, illustrating his wounded ego but enduring pride.