“The Shark” by E.J. Pratt is a poem that creates an atmosphere that could be described cold, based on how mechanical the shark seems to be. In the first stanza the author begins by describing the shark as being familiar with the harbour he was in (He seemed to know the harbour/so leisurely he swam), while also appearing as dangerous, with a fin above the water like a warning sign (like a piece of sheet-iron/three-cornered/and with knife-edge). This creates an image of a stealthy predator moving through the water, able to sneak up on its unsuspecting prey. The second stanza continues to present the shark as how they are stereotypically perceived; an aggressive predator capable of causing significant harm (And snapped at a flat fish/and I saw
