The Thorn Quizzes

The Thorn Quiz

1 The speaker of the poem may be identified as:
a gossip

an old sea captain

an unreliable narrator

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

Martha Ray's baby

Stephen Hill

Wilfred
3 Why didn't Martha and Stephen get married?
Stephen left Martha for another woman

Their families disapproved of the union

Stephen moved away

Martha moved away
4 "Cuts like a scythe" is an example of:
a metaphor

onomatopoeia

personification

a simile
5 The thorn is described as:
old

grey

poor

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

Stephen Hill

Martha Ray's father

Wilfred
7 The description of Martha as "mad" refers to:
her anger

neither her anger nor her insanity

both her anger and insanity

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

make her feel sick

bring her senses back again

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

an older local man

Stephen's friend

Martha's brother
10 "A melancholy crop" is an example of:
simile

personification

allusion

metaphor
11 What does the color red most likely represent in the poem?
neither blood nor adultery

adultery

blood

both blood and 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

Human beings are happier when they grow up and join society

Love is the most powerful feeling in the world
13 What happened to Martha Ray's baby?
The baby was murdered

The baby was miscarried

No one knows for certain

The baby was stillborn
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:
onomatopoeia and allusion

simile and metaphor

repetition and imagery

metonymy and synecdoche
16 The overall tone of the poem may be described as:
confused and afraid

angry and frustrated

somber and mysterious

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

Nature shudders at the idea of torturing Martha any further

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 drowned her baby in the pond

Martha hanged her baby on the tree

Martha gave her baby up for adoption
19 When is Martha found by her child's supposed grave?
In the early morning

During the summer

Night and day

Late at night
20 "Sober sad" is an example of:
alliteration

metonymy

assonance

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

personification

metaphor

synecdoche
22 The moss is compared to:
A neglected shrub

The handwoven work of a lady

The styled hair of a child

A muddy swamp
23 "A fire was kindled in her breast" is an example of:
metaphor

personification

allusion

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

Modern

Pre-Raphaelite

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

Vengeful and belligerent

Very worried about Martha

Scared of 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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