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?
Martha Ray

Martha Ray's baby

Wilfred

Stephen Hill
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 metaphor

a simile

onomatopoeia

personification
5 The thorn is described as:
grey

poor

old

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

Martha Ray's father

Wilfred

God
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:
make her feel sick

bring her senses back again

make her upset

cause her to have bad dreams
9 Wilfred of the glen is most likely:
an older local man

Martha's brother

Martha's former lover

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

metaphor

simile

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

adultery

both blood and adultery

blood
12 What is one of the poem's prominent themes?
Human beings are happier when they grow up and join society

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

The baby was stillborn

The baby was miscarried

The baby was murdered
14 The speaker mistook Martha for:
a jutting crag

a wild animal

a bush

a tree
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

angry and frustrated

confused and afraid

somber and mysterious
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 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?
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?
During the summer

Late at night

Night and day

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:
simile

synecdoche

metaphor

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

A neglected shrub

A muddy swamp

The handwoven work of a lady
23 "A fire was kindled in her breast" is an example of:
personification

metaphor

simile

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

Renaissance

Modern

Gothic
25 How might the speaker and the locals best be described?
Vengeful and belligerent

Mildly sympathetic but mostly gossipy

Scared of Martha

Very worried about 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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