My research is entitled “Identity and Poetry in the Middle East,” and is a deep look inside the connection between the constantly changing identity of Arabs in a volatile political, social, and economic climate, and the expression of these changes through poetry. I first look at poetry through a historical lens, focusing on its connection to Islam and the role of famed poets as powerful societal voices. Then I look at contemporary shifts in poetic style, such as hip-hop, which greatly increased during the Arab Spring, and proved to be an important tool against repressive regimes. I was able to enrich my research by studying abroad in Amman, Jordan for a semester my junior fall. While traveling around this region, I attended poetry events and music concerts, and conducted interviews with local artists who were trying to portray communal frustrations and conflicting identity pressures through their words. First I studied the historical impact of poets in the Middle East. Poets are the most revered artists for Arabs, and the most dangerous mobilizers for regimes. Through their poems, they portray shifts in Arab identity and use their words as rallying cries during revolutions and reflections during communal loss. Next I looked at contemporary poetry. From formal Arabic to dialects, and religious hymns to hip-hop and rap music, poetry has proven to be extremely fluid. It was a primary force during the Arab Spring, and the proliferation of young new hip-hop artists in participating countries were the voices pushing against societal norms that had circumscribed the thoughts and actions of the youth in the Middle East. Overall, my research paints a vivid picture of the role of poetry in the Middle East, while highlighting the shifts in its function over the course of hundreds of years and its inextricable connection between politics, society, and identity.