The first line of the poem introduces the fact that the father has been drinking whiskey. Now, many of us know that people have different reactions to alcohol. Some people are funny and love to have fun, others get quite mean. Which category the father falls into is hotly debated, however, most agree that the father's drinking is the catalyst for events in the rest of the poem, whether it be waltzes or beatings. Then comes the phrase: "But I resisted like death." This is an incredibly powerful simile. Death has a negative connotation and adds darkness to the piece as well as creating very strong and powerful images. Still in the vein of images, the description of the father's hands as "bad on one knuckle" and "the palm encrusted with dirt" are very descriptive. His knuckles could be battered (which is a strong word that usually indicates some kind of violence) from hitting and abusing the boy, or, combined with his dirt-encrusted hands, it simply shows that his father is tough.