Mirikitani's "Attack the Water" relates to Rukeyser's "Poem" because they both focus on what civilians experience during wartime. "Attack the Water" describes the struggle of Vietnamese people living during (and after) the Vietnam War, and of Japanese-Americans in the era of Japanese Labor camps. "Poem" reflects on the struggle of people living during both of the World Wars, trying to get by and to get through such a tragic time. Both of these poems show that even when people are not involved directly in a war, war can still have an immense impact on their lives.
