The Thorn Quizzes

The Thorn Quiz

1 The speaker of the poem may be identified as:
an old sea captain

a gossip

an unreliable narrator

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

Martha Ray's baby

Martha Ray

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

Their families disapproved of the union

Martha moved away

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

a simile

onomatopoeia

a metaphor
5 The thorn is described as:
old

grey

poor

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

neither her anger nor her insanity

both her anger and insanity

her anger
8 When Martha is pregnant, her baby seems to:
cause her to have bad dreams

bring her senses back again

make her feel sick

make her upset
9 Wilfred of the glen is most likely:
Martha's brother

Stephen's friend

an older local man

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

personification

simile

allusion
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

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
13 What happened to Martha Ray's baby?
No one knows for certain

The baby was miscarried

The baby was stillborn

The baby was murdered
14 The speaker mistook Martha for:
a bush

a jutting crag

a wild animal

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

metonymy and synecdoche

repetition and imagery

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 locals are imagining the event to avoid any action toward Martha

The soil surrounding the pond is being replanted

The spirit of Martha's baby is disturbed

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

Martha drowned her baby in the pond

The baby was stillborn
19 When is Martha found by her child's supposed grave?
Night and day

Late at night

In the early morning

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

onomatopoeia

metonymy

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

personification

simile

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

The handwoven work of a lady

A muddy swamp

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.
Renaissance

Modern

Gothic

Pre-Raphaelite
25 How might the speaker and the locals best be described?
Mildly sympathetic but mostly gossipy

Very worried about Martha

Vengeful and belligerent

Scared of Martha

The Thorn Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Thorn is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Ask Your Own Question

Study Guide for The Thorn

The Thorn study guide contains a biography of William Wordsworth, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

Read the Study Guide for The Thorn…

Wikipedia Entries for The Thorn

Introduction

View Wikipedia Entries for The Thorn…