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?
Wilfred

Martha Ray

Martha Ray's baby

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

Stephen left Martha for another woman

Stephen moved away

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

a metaphor

onomatopoeia

a simile
5 The thorn is described as:
grey

poor

old

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

Wilfred

Martha Ray's father

God
7 The description of Martha as "mad" refers to:
neither her anger nor her insanity

her anger

her insanity

both her anger and insanity
8 When Martha is pregnant, her baby seems to:
bring her senses back again

make her upset

make her feel sick

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:
simile

personification

metaphor

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

both blood and adultery

neither blood nor adultery

adultery
12 What is one of the poem's prominent themes?
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

Love is the most powerful feeling in the world
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 tree

a bush

a jutting crag

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

metonymy and synecdoche

onomatopoeia and allusion

repetition and imagery
16 The overall tone of the poem may be described as:
confused and afraid

angry and frustrated

joyful and hopeful

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 soil surrounding the pond is being replanted

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 drowned her baby in the pond

Martha gave her baby up for adoption

Martha hanged her baby on the tree

The baby was stillborn
19 When is Martha found by her child's supposed grave?
In the early morning

During the summer

Late at night

Night and day
20 "Sober sad" is an example of:
metonymy

assonance

alliteration

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

simile

personification

metaphor
22 The moss is compared to:
A muddy swamp

A neglected shrub

The handwoven work of a lady

The styled hair of a child
23 "A fire was kindled in her breast" is an example of:
simile

personification

metaphor

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

Mildly sympathetic but mostly gossipy

Very worried about Martha

Vengeful and belligerent

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