1. Summary
The poem simply describes the nature of a boss. According to
the poem , the boss is the person who collect and stores the nude
photos in the secured drawer along with the financial statements.
This drawer is always locked and the boss keeps the keys with him
always. Though all the works are done by employees but the boss
always complains them about their in competency, secretiveness.
He sense these things from their disrespectful laughing when he
criticizes them.
The poem also includes that whenever a boss walks in the
shop in a stoop shouldered careless way, it can be seen that he
holds the wealth of shops like all the machinery, steel cabinet etc.
finally the poem ends as mentioning about the shop where the
photos are kept by the boss.
2. Interpretation
The Poem 'the boss' describes briefly a boss of a private sector
who is quiet dominant in the entire scenario. He has his own
will, right and full use of power in his position and his possession.
HE stands, specifically, for the bourgeois class who holds the capital
and manipulates his employees.
The poem is written in a single sentence. However it can be
divided into two parts separated by the post modifier 'who'. His
discrete power of dominance can be vividly seem from the first part
of his description. In the first part he is presented as what a boss
does in his work place. He is simply indulged in hoarding nude
photos among the monthly bank statement. The actual work is under
his employees control whereas the financial accounts is recorded
under him. He keeps them under strict security having its door
always locked and its keys in his pocket. Nevertheless, he is the one
who still complains about his employee's incompetence and
secretiveness. It is quite ironical that the boss who complains about
others lack of efficiency and secretiveness in turn himself conceals
his own safe without having expectation of any hindrance. His
criticism to his employees' lack of proficiency directs in his own
ineptness. Yes, he cans see through employees their hidden laugh
while he is criticizing them.
3. In the next part the poet has mentioned about the physical
structure and the possession of the boss. He possesses such
mighty power that when he walks into his shop, it looks the entire
shop walks with him. He stands not solely for the boss but the whole
shop stands for him. While walking he goes sagging stoop-
shouldered and careless. He is the only owner of that place, the
shop, the machinery and the steel cabinet where those photos lay.
All of these belong to him and he has the right for everything there.
Though physically incapable of holding himself upright still he is
proprietor who srushes beneath him his employees, laborers and
workers.
4. Rhetoric
The poem is written in a single sentence but can be
broken into two parts by the word “Who” for brief
understanding. The poem is quiet ironical as it mentions
that the boss who always complains about incompetence
and secretiveness of employees also hide himself
without the fear of any hindrances from others. The
poem simply mentions about the nature of a boss in a
private sector business who looks quiet dominant in the
entire poem who always tries to dominate his co-
workers. He simply represents the bourgeois class who
from the very past holds the capital of economy and
always exploits the employees.
