The Thorn Quizzes

The Thorn Quiz

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

an unreliable narrator

a gossip

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

Wilfred

Martha Ray

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

Martha moved away

Stephen left Martha for another woman

Stephen moved away
4 "Cuts like a scythe" is an example of:
onomatopoeia

a simile

personification

a metaphor
5 The thorn is described as:
old

poor

grey

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

God

Wilfred

Martha Ray's father
7 The description of Martha as "mad" refers to:
her insanity

neither her anger nor her insanity

her anger

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

make her feel sick

bring her senses back again

cause her to have bad dreams
9 Wilfred of the glen is most likely:
Martha's brother

Stephen's friend

Martha's former lover

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

personification

simile

allusion
11 What does the color red most likely represent in the poem?
adultery

both blood and adultery

blood

neither blood nor adultery
12 What is one of the poem's prominent themes?
Love is the most powerful feeling in the world

When one is in despair, family and friends are always there for support

Human beings are happier when they grow up and join society

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

repetition and imagery

onomatopoeia and allusion

metonymy and synecdoche
16 The overall tone of the poem may be described as:
angry and frustrated

somber and mysterious

confused and afraid

joyful and hopeful
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 spirit of Martha's baby is disturbed

The locals are imagining the event to avoid any action toward Martha
18 Which of the following is not a theory proposed in the poem regarding Martha's baby?
Martha hanged her baby on the tree

The baby was stillborn

Martha gave her baby up for adoption

Martha drowned her baby in the pond
19 When is Martha found by her child's supposed grave?
Late at night

In the early morning

Night and day

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

metonymy

onomatopoeia

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

personification

synecdoche

simile
22 The moss is compared to:
A muddy swamp

The styled hair of a child

A neglected shrub

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

simile

allusion

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

Renaissance

Pre-Raphaelite

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

Mildly sympathetic but mostly gossipy

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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