The Thorn Quizzes

The Thorn Quiz

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

an unreliable narrator

an old sea captain

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

Stephen Hill

Martha Ray

Martha Ray's baby
3 Why didn't Martha and Stephen get married?
Martha moved away

Stephen moved away

Their families disapproved of the union

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

a metaphor

a simile

onomatopoeia
5 The thorn is described as:
old

grey

poor

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

Martha Ray's father

Wilfred

Stephen Hill
7 The description of Martha as "mad" refers to:
her anger

her insanity

both her anger and insanity

neither her anger nor her insanity
8 When Martha is pregnant, her baby seems to:
cause her to have bad dreams

make her upset

bring her senses back again

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

Martha's former lover

Stephen's friend

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

simile

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?
Love is the most powerful feeling in the world

Human beings are happier when they grow up and join society

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
13 What happened to Martha Ray's baby?
The baby was miscarried

No one knows for certain

The baby was stillborn

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

a tree

a bush

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

simile and metaphor

metonymy and synecdoche

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

angry and frustrated

joyful and hopeful

confused and afraid
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

The soil surrounding the pond is being replanted

Nature shudders at the idea of torturing Martha any further
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

Martha drowned her baby in the pond

The baby was stillborn
19 When is Martha found by her child's supposed grave?
Late at night

Night and day

In the early morning

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

metonymy

onomatopoeia

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

The handwoven work of a lady

A neglected shrub

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

simile

metaphor

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

Renaissance

Modern

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

Vengeful and belligerent

Mildly sympathetic but mostly gossipy

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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