Terrance Hayes’ poem RSVP uses symbolism, imagery and metaphors to expose how race affects beauty standards, while also exploring how the “King of Pop,” Michael Jackson views his own blackness. Throughout the poem, the author uses an array of poetic elements to focus on two points: how race affects the standards of beauty, and the importance of the discovery of one’s own racial identity. Some of the elements Hayes uses in the poem include: metaphors, visual imagery, and symbolism. The poem digs deep into how the King of Pop, or “K.O.P.,” views his own racial identity, and how that affects the racial identification that the young black boys who look up to him experience.
Hayes’ poem is, for the most part, written from the perspective of a young black boy who writes a series of letters to Michael Jackson.…