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?
Wilfred

Martha Ray's baby

Stephen Hill

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:
a simile

onomatopoeia

a metaphor

personification
5 The thorn is described as:
grey

old

poor

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

Martha Ray's father

God

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

both her anger and insanity

her anger

neither her anger nor her 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:
Martha's former lover

Martha's brother

Stephen's friend

an older local man
10 "A melancholy crop" is an example of:
metaphor

allusion

simile

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

both blood and adultery

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

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

Love is the most powerful feeling in the world

Human beings are happier when they grow up and join society
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 bush

a tree

a wild animal

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

onomatopoeia and allusion

metonymy and synecdoche

repetition and imagery
16 The overall tone of the poem may be described as:
angry and frustrated

confused and afraid

joyful and hopeful

somber and mysterious
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 soil surrounding the pond is being replanted

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

The spirit of Martha's baby is disturbed
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 drowned her baby in the pond

Martha gave her baby up for adoption
19 When is Martha found by her child's supposed grave?
During the summer

Night and day

Late at night

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

assonance

onomatopoeia

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

simile

personification

metaphor
22 The moss is compared to:
The handwoven work of a lady

The styled hair of a child

A muddy swamp

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

metaphor

allusion

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

Modern

Pre-Raphaelite

Gothic
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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