The Thorn Quizzes

The Thorn Quiz

1 The speaker of the poem may be identified as:

an old sea captain

an unreliable narrator

a gossip

all of the above
2 Who is supposedly buried beneath the mossy hill?

Stephen Hill

Wilfred

Martha Ray

Martha Ray's baby
3 Why didn't Martha and Stephen get married?

Martha moved away

Stephen moved away

Their families disapproved of the union

Stephen left Martha for another woman
4 "Cuts like a scythe" is an example of:

a metaphor

personification

a simile

onomatopoeia
5 The thorn is described as:

poor

grey

old

all of the above
6 "O guilty father" most likely refers to:

God

Martha Ray's father

Stephen Hill

Wilfred
7 The description of Martha as "mad" refers to:

neither her anger nor her insanity

her insanity

both her anger and insanity

her anger
8 When Martha is pregnant, her baby seems to:

make her upset

bring her senses back again

make her feel sick

cause her to have bad dreams
9 Wilfred of the glen is most likely:

an older local man

Martha's former lover

Stephen's friend

Martha's brother
10 "A melancholy crop" is an example of:

simile

metaphor

personification

allusion
11 What does the color red most likely represent in the poem?

neither blood nor adultery

both blood and adultery

adultery

blood
12 What is one of the poem's prominent themes?

When one is in despair, family and friends are always there for support

Love is the most powerful feeling in the world

Beauty and ugliness coexist both in physical nature and in human nature

Human beings are happier when they grow up and join society
13 What happened to Martha Ray's baby?

The baby was murdered

No one knows for certain

The baby was stillborn

The baby was miscarried
14 The speaker mistook Martha for:

a bush

a jutting crag

a tree

a wild animal
15 The speaker conveys the tone and style of a ballad through his use of:

repetition and imagery

onomatopoeia and allusion

simile and metaphor

metonymy and synecdoche
16 The overall tone of the poem may be described as:

joyful and hopeful

confused and afraid

angry and frustrated

somber and mysterious
17 Which of the following is not a likely reason why the little pond stirs suddenly?

The soil surrounding the pond is being replanted

The spirit of Martha's baby is disturbed

Nature shudders at the idea of torturing Martha any further

The locals are imagining the event to avoid any action toward Martha
18 Which of the following is not a theory proposed in the poem regarding Martha's baby?

Martha drowned her baby in the pond

Martha gave her baby up for adoption

Martha hanged her baby on the tree

The baby was stillborn
19 When is Martha found by her child's supposed grave?

Late at night

Night and day

During the summer

In the early morning
20 "Sober sad" is an example of:

onomatopoeia

alliteration

metonymy

assonance
21 "Thirsty suns and parching air" is an example of:

personification

metaphor

simile

synecdoche
22 The moss is compared to:

The styled hair of a child

A neglected shrub

The handwoven work of a lady

A muddy swamp
23 "A fire was kindled in her breast" is an example of:

personification

simile

metaphor

allusion
24 While the poem is from the Romantic period, it also has the macabre and superstitious elements found in ________works.

Pre-Raphaelite

Renaissance

Modern

Gothic
25 How might the speaker and the locals best be described?

Very worried about Martha

Vengeful and belligerent

Scared of Martha

Mildly sympathetic but mostly gossipy

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The Thorn study guide contains a biography of William Wordsworth, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

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