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

Wilfred

Stephen Hill

Martha Ray
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

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

Wilfred

Martha Ray's father

Stephen Hill
7 The description of Martha as "mad" refers to:

neither her anger nor her insanity

her anger

both her anger and insanity

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

make her feel sick

make her upset

bring her senses back again

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

Martha's former lover

an older local man

Martha's brother

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

simile

personification

metaphor

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

both blood and adultery

adultery

blood

neither blood nor adultery
12 What is one of the poem's prominent themes?

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

When one is in despair, family and friends are always there for support
13 What happened to Martha Ray's baby?

The baby was murdered

The baby was stillborn

The baby was miscarried

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

a tree

a wild animal

a jutting crag

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

onomatopoeia and allusion

repetition and imagery

simile and metaphor

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?

Nature shudders at the idea of torturing Martha any further

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
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

During the summer

Night and day

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

alliteration

onomatopoeia

assonance

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

synecdoche

personification

simile

metaphor
22 The moss is compared to:

A neglected shrub

The handwoven work of a lady

A muddy swamp

The styled hair of a child
23 "A fire was kindled in her breast" is an example of:

metaphor

simile

personification

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

Pre-Raphaelite

Gothic

Renaissance

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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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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