The Thorn Quizzes

The Thorn Quiz

1 The speaker of the poem may be identified as:
an unreliable narrator

an old sea captain

a gossip

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

Martha Ray's baby

Wilfred

Stephen Hill
3 Why didn't Martha and Stephen get married?
Stephen moved away

Their families disapproved of the union

Stephen left Martha for another woman

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

a metaphor

onomatopoeia

a simile
5 The thorn is described as:
poor

grey

old

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

Martha Ray's father

Stephen Hill

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

her insanity

her anger

neither her anger nor her insanity
8 When Martha is pregnant, her baby seems to:
bring her senses back again

make her upset

cause her to have bad dreams

make her feel sick
9 Wilfred of the glen is most likely:
Martha's brother

Martha's former lover

an older local man

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

metaphor

personification

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

blood

adultery

neither blood nor adultery
12 What is one of the poem's prominent themes?
When one is in despair, family and friends are always there for support

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

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?
No one knows for certain

The baby was murdered

The baby was stillborn

The baby was miscarried
14 The speaker mistook Martha for:
a tree

a jutting crag

a bush

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

onomatopoeia and allusion

repetition and imagery

metonymy and synecdoche
16 The overall tone of the poem may be described as:
somber and mysterious

joyful and hopeful

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

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
18 Which of the following is not a theory proposed in the poem regarding Martha's baby?
Martha hanged her baby on the tree

Martha gave her baby up for adoption

The baby was stillborn

Martha drowned her baby in the pond
19 When is Martha found by her child's supposed grave?
Night and day

In the early morning

During the summer

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

onomatopoeia

alliteration

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

metaphor

simile

synecdoche
22 The moss is compared to:
A muddy swamp

The styled hair of a child

The handwoven work of a lady

A neglected shrub
23 "A fire was kindled in her breast" is an example of:
allusion

personification

metaphor

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

Gothic

Renaissance

Pre-Raphaelite
25 How might the speaker and the locals best be described?
Very worried about Martha

Scared of Martha

Vengeful and belligerent

Mildly sympathetic but mostly gossipy

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