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?

Martha Ray's baby

Martha Ray

Stephen Hill

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

personification

a simile

a metaphor
5 The thorn is described as:

old

grey

poor

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

Wilfred

God

Martha Ray's father

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

both her anger and insanity

neither her anger nor her insanity

her insanity

her anger
8 When Martha is pregnant, her baby seems to:

make her upset

bring her senses back again

make her feel sick

cause her to have bad dreams
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:

simile

metaphor

allusion

personification
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?

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 murdered

The baby was stillborn

No one knows for certain

The baby was miscarried
14 The speaker mistook Martha for:

a tree

a jutting crag

a wild animal

a bush
15 The speaker conveys the tone and style of a ballad through his use of:

simile and metaphor

repetition and imagery

onomatopoeia and allusion

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

joyful and hopeful

angry and frustrated

confused and afraid

somber and mysterious
17 Which of the following is not a likely reason why the little pond stirs suddenly?

Nature shudders at the idea of torturing Martha any further

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

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 drowned her baby in the pond

Martha gave her baby up for adoption

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

During the summer

In the early morning

Night and day

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

onomatopoeia

metonymy

alliteration

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

metaphor

synecdoche

personification

simile
22 The moss is compared to:

A neglected shrub

The handwoven work of a lady

The styled hair of a child

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

personification

metaphor

simile

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

Renaissance

Gothic

Modern

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

Mildly sympathetic but mostly gossipy

Vengeful and belligerent

Very worried about Martha

Scared of 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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