The Thorn Quizzes

The Thorn Quiz

1 The speaker of the poem may be identified as:
a gossip

an old sea captain

an unreliable narrator

all of the above
2 Who is supposedly buried beneath the mossy hill?
Stephen Hill

Martha Ray's baby

Martha Ray

Wilfred
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:
onomatopoeia

a simile

a metaphor

personification
5 The thorn is described as:
poor

grey

old

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:
make her feel sick

bring her senses back again

make her upset

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

Martha's brother

Stephen's friend

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

allusion

simile

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

adultery

neither blood nor adultery

blood
12 What is one of the poem's prominent themes?
When one is in despair, family and friends are always there for support

Human beings are happier when they grow up and join society

Love is the most powerful feeling in the world

Beauty and ugliness coexist both in physical nature and in human nature
13 What happened to Martha Ray's baby?
The baby was murdered

No one knows for certain

The baby was miscarried

The baby was stillborn
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:
repetition and imagery

onomatopoeia and allusion

metonymy and synecdoche

simile and metaphor
16 The overall tone of the poem may be described as:
somber and mysterious

confused and afraid

angry and frustrated

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 soil surrounding the pond is being replanted

Nature shudders at the idea of torturing Martha any further

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 gave her baby up for adoption

Martha drowned her baby in the pond

The baby was stillborn

Martha hanged her baby on the tree
19 When is Martha found by her child's supposed grave?
Night and day

Late at night

In the early morning

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

alliteration

assonance

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

simile

synecdoche

personification
22 The moss is compared to:
The handwoven work of a lady

A neglected shrub

The styled hair of a child

A muddy swamp
23 "A fire was kindled in her breast" is an example of:
personification

metaphor

allusion

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

Renaissance

Gothic

Pre-Raphaelite
25 How might the speaker and the locals best be described?
Scared of Martha

Vengeful and belligerent

Very worried about Martha

Mildly sympathetic but mostly gossipy

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