The roots of conflict in the Middle East are deep and tangled. How can teachers of history, philosophy, or literature help their students reach even a simple understanding of the history and continued impact of these conflicts? In this curriculum project, a high school literature teacher has chosen five poets (two Egyptian, two Israeli, and one Palestinian) with distinct perspectives, hoping that students, in exploring these lyrics, will discover a wide variation of emotions and surprising similarities among opposing forces. The poets are Amal Dunqul (Egypt), Yehuda Amichai (Israel), Dalia Ravikovich (Israel), Mahmoud Darwish (Palestine), and Tawfiq Zayyad (Egypt). The unit groups the selected poems thematically and provides a brief biography for each poet. The unit includes only a significant passage (usually a few lines) from the selected poem; however, references are cited from which the entire poems can be accessed. Each selected is briefly explicated. (BT)