The Thorn Quizzes

The Thorn Quiz

1 The speaker of the poem may be identified as:
an unreliable narrator

an old sea captain

a gossip

all of the above
2 Who is supposedly buried beneath the mossy hill?
Martha Ray's baby

Stephen Hill

Wilfred

Martha Ray
3 Why didn't Martha and Stephen get married?
Stephen moved away

Their families disapproved of the union

Stephen left Martha for another woman

Martha moved away
4 "Cuts like a scythe" is an example of:
onomatopoeia

personification

a simile

a metaphor
5 The thorn is described as:
old

poor

grey

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

God

Martha Ray's father

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

neither her anger nor her insanity

her anger

both her anger and insanity
8 When Martha is pregnant, her baby seems to:
make her upset

make her feel sick

cause her to have bad dreams

bring her senses back again
9 Wilfred of the glen is most likely:
Stephen's friend

Martha's former lover

an older local man

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

simile

personification

allusion
11 What does the color red most likely represent in the poem?
neither blood nor adultery

blood

both blood and adultery

adultery
12 What is one of the poem's prominent themes?
When one is in despair, family and friends are always there for support

Human beings are happier when they grow up and join society

Love is the most powerful feeling in the world

Beauty and ugliness coexist both in physical nature and in human nature
13 What happened to Martha Ray's baby?
The baby was miscarried

The baby was murdered

The baby was stillborn

No one knows for certain
14 The speaker mistook Martha for:
a bush

a wild animal

a tree

a jutting crag
15 The speaker conveys the tone and style of a ballad through his use of:
simile and metaphor

onomatopoeia and allusion

repetition and imagery

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

confused and afraid

somber and mysterious

angry and frustrated
17 Which of the following is not a likely reason why the little pond stirs suddenly?
The spirit of Martha's baby is disturbed

The soil surrounding the pond is being replanted

The locals are imagining the event to avoid any action toward Martha

Nature shudders at the idea of torturing Martha any further
18 Which of the following is not a theory proposed in the poem regarding Martha's baby?
Martha hanged her baby on the tree

Martha gave her baby up for adoption

The baby was stillborn

Martha drowned her baby in the pond
19 When is Martha found by her child's supposed grave?
In the early morning

Night and day

During the summer

Late at night
20 "Sober sad" is an example of:
assonance

metonymy

alliteration

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

metaphor

personification

synecdoche
22 The moss is compared to:
The styled hair of a child

A neglected shrub

A muddy swamp

The handwoven work of a lady
23 "A fire was kindled in her breast" is an example of:
simile

metaphor

personification

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

Renaissance

Gothic

Modern
25 How might the speaker and the locals best be described?
Vengeful and belligerent

Very worried about Martha

Scared of Martha

Mildly sympathetic but mostly gossipy

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