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

Stephen Hill

Wilfred

Martha Ray
3 Why didn't Martha and Stephen get married?

Stephen moved away

Stephen left Martha for another woman

Their families disapproved of the union

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

a metaphor

a simile

personification

onomatopoeia
5 The thorn is described as:

poor

old

grey

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

God

Stephen Hill

Wilfred

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

neither her anger nor her insanity

her anger

both her anger and insanity

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

bring her senses back again

make her feel sick

make her upset

cause her to have bad dreams
9 Wilfred of the glen is most likely:

Martha's former lover

an older local man

Martha's brother

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

personification

simile

allusion

metaphor
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

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

No one knows for certain

The baby was murdered

The baby was stillborn
14 The speaker mistook Martha for:

a bush

a tree

a jutting crag

a wild animal
15 The speaker conveys the tone and style of a ballad through his use of:

metonymy and synecdoche

simile and metaphor

repetition and imagery

onomatopoeia and allusion
16 The overall tone of the poem may be described as:

joyful and hopeful

somber and mysterious

angry and frustrated

confused and afraid
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 spirit of Martha's baby is disturbed

Nature shudders at the idea of torturing Martha any further

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 gave her baby up for adoption

The baby was stillborn

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?

Night and day

During the summer

Late at night

In the early morning
20 "Sober sad" is an example of:

onomatopoeia

metonymy

assonance

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

synecdoche

simile

metaphor

personification
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:

simile

metaphor

allusion

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

Modern

Pre-Raphaelite

Gothic

Renaissance
25 How might the speaker and the locals best be described?

Vengeful and belligerent

Scared of Martha

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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