The Thorn Quizzes

The Thorn Quiz

1 The speaker of the poem may be identified as:

an unreliable narrator

a gossip

an old sea captain

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

Wilfred

Martha Ray

Martha Ray's baby

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

Stephen left Martha for another woman

Stephen moved away

Martha moved away

Their families disapproved of the union
4 "Cuts like a scythe" is an example of:

personification

a metaphor

onomatopoeia

a simile
5 The thorn is described as:

old

grey

poor

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

Martha Ray's father

Wilfred

Stephen Hill

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:

make her feel sick

make her upset

cause her to have bad dreams

bring her senses back again
9 Wilfred of the glen is most likely:

Martha's brother

an older local man

Martha's former lover

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

personification

metaphor

allusion

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

adultery

neither blood nor adultery

blood

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

Love is the most powerful feeling in the world

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

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 stillborn

No one knows for certain

The baby was miscarried

The baby was murdered
14 The speaker mistook Martha for:

a jutting crag

a bush

a tree

a wild animal
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:

angry and frustrated

confused and afraid

somber and mysterious

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

Nature shudders at the idea of torturing Martha any further

The soil surrounding the pond is being replanted

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?

The baby was stillborn

Martha gave her baby up for adoption

Martha drowned her baby in the pond

Martha hanged her baby on the tree
19 When is Martha found by her child's supposed grave?

In the early morning

Night and day

Late at night

During the summer
20 "Sober sad" is an example of:

assonance

alliteration

onomatopoeia

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

simile

synecdoche

metaphor

personification
22 The moss is compared to:

The styled hair of a child

A muddy swamp

The handwoven work of a lady

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

metaphor

allusion

personification

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

Pre-Raphaelite

Gothic

Modern

Renaissance
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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