The Thorn Quizzes

The Thorn Quiz

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

a gossip

an unreliable narrator

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

Martha moved away

Stephen moved away

Stephen left Martha for another woman
4 "Cuts like a scythe" is an example of:
personification

onomatopoeia

a simile

a metaphor
5 The thorn is described as:
poor

old

grey

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

Stephen Hill

Martha Ray's father

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

her insanity

both her anger and insanity

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

make her feel sick

cause her to have bad dreams

make her upset
9 Wilfred of the glen is most likely:
Stephen's friend

Martha's former lover

an older local man

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

allusion

personification

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

blood

neither blood nor adultery

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

Human beings are happier when they grow up and join society
13 What happened to Martha Ray's baby?
The baby was stillborn

No one knows for certain

The baby was murdered

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

a tree

a wild animal

a bush
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:
somber and mysterious

angry and frustrated

confused and afraid

joyful and hopeful
17 Which of the following is not a likely reason why the little pond stirs suddenly?
The spirit of Martha's baby is disturbed

The locals are imagining the event to avoid any action toward Martha

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?
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

Night and day

In the early morning

Late at night
20 "Sober sad" is an example of:
onomatopoeia

assonance

metonymy

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

personification

metaphor

synecdoche
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

simile

allusion

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

Pre-Raphaelite

Modern

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

Mildly sympathetic but mostly gossipy

Vengeful and belligerent

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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