B. The father probably punched something and messed up his fist.
Explanation:
Imagery is a powerful tool many writers and poets use. Using figurative and descriptive language, they help their readers visualize what is written by appealing to their senses.
The given line is from the poem <em>My Papa’s Waltz</em> written by Theodore Roethke. Roethke uses imagery to help us imagine a father's battered hand holding the little boy's wrist. Based on the context, we know that the father was abusive and that he beat his own son. This is why options A and C could also be correct.
But in the question you were given, we don't have the context. If we didn't take a look at the entire poem, we could only assume that he punched something and injured his fist. This is why option B is the correct one.
