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?
Stephen Hill

Wilfred

Martha Ray's baby

Martha Ray
3 Why didn't Martha and Stephen get married?
Their families disapproved of the union

Stephen moved away

Stephen left Martha for another woman

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

onomatopoeia

a simile

personification
5 The thorn is described as:
poor

grey

old

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

God

Martha Ray's father

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

her anger

neither her anger nor her insanity

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

cause her to have bad dreams

make her feel sick

bring her senses back again
9 Wilfred of the glen is most likely:
an older local man

Stephen's friend

Martha's former lover

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

personification

allusion

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

neither blood nor adultery

both blood and adultery

adultery
12 What is one of the poem's prominent themes?
Love is the most powerful feeling in the world

Human beings are happier when they grow up and join society

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

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

The baby was stillborn

The baby was murdered

No one knows for certain
14 The speaker mistook Martha for:
a wild animal

a bush

a tree

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

metonymy and synecdoche

onomatopoeia and allusion

simile and metaphor
16 The overall tone of the poem may be described as:
somber and mysterious

angry and frustrated

joyful and hopeful

confused and afraid
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?
Martha drowned her baby in the pond

The baby was stillborn

Martha gave her baby up for adoption

Martha hanged her baby on the tree
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:
metonymy

assonance

alliteration

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

simile

personification

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

A neglected shrub

The handwoven work of a lady

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

metaphor

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?
Scared of Martha

Vengeful and belligerent

Very worried about 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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