Get out the microscope, because we’re going through this poem line-by-line.
Lines 25-28
Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.
- This stanza describes Casey getting ready to hit and the pitcher getting ready to pitch.
- The pressure continues to mount. Every one of those 5,000 fans has their eyes on Casey. (Do the math—that's like 10,000 eyeballs… give or take a few.) Everyone is cheering. (Here we get more synecdoche that tells us that "Five thousand tongues applauded.")
- The description of the "writhing pitcher" gives us the impression that he's, perhaps, a little nervous or uncomfortable to be facing mighty Casey.
- Casey, on the other hand, seems as confident as ever. He's "defiant." He's "sneering" at the pitcher.