The Thorn Quizzes

The Thorn Quiz

1 The speaker of the poem may be identified as:

a gossip

an unreliable narrator

an old sea captain

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

Stephen Hill

Wilfred

Martha Ray's baby

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

Martha moved away

Their families disapproved of the union

Stephen moved away

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

onomatopoeia

a simile

a metaphor

personification
5 The thorn is described as:

poor

grey

old

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

Stephen Hill

Wilfred

Martha Ray's father

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

her insanity

her anger

neither her anger nor her insanity

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

bring her senses back again

make her feel sick

make her upset

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

an older local man

Martha's brother

Martha's former lover

Stephen's friend
10 "A melancholy crop" is an example of:

personification

simile

allusion

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

blood

adultery

both blood and adultery

neither blood nor 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 murdered

No one knows for certain

The baby was miscarried

The baby was stillborn
14 The speaker mistook Martha for:

a wild animal

a tree

a jutting crag

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

repetition and imagery

metonymy and synecdoche

simile and metaphor

onomatopoeia and allusion
16 The overall tone of the poem may be described as:

somber and mysterious

confused and afraid

angry and frustrated

joyful and hopeful
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 locals are imagining the event to avoid any action toward Martha

The soil surrounding the pond is being replanted

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?

The baby was stillborn

Martha hanged her baby on the tree

Martha gave her baby up for adoption

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

During the summer

Late at night

Night and day

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

metonymy

onomatopoeia

assonance

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

metaphor

personification

simile

synecdoche
22 The moss is compared to:

The handwoven work of a lady

A muddy swamp

The styled hair of a child

A neglected shrub
23 "A fire was kindled in her breast" is an example of:

allusion

simile

personification

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

Gothic

Renaissance

Pre-Raphaelite

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

Vengeful and belligerent

Mildly sympathetic but mostly gossipy

Scared of Martha

Very worried about Martha

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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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