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?

Stephen Hill

Martha Ray

Martha Ray's baby

Wilfred
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:

a metaphor

a simile

personification

onomatopoeia
5 The thorn is described as:

old

grey

poor

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

Wilfred

Martha Ray's father

God

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

her insanity

both her anger and insanity

neither her anger nor her insanity

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

make her upset

bring her senses back again

cause her to have bad dreams

make her feel sick
9 Wilfred of the glen is most likely:

Martha's former lover

an older local man

Stephen's friend

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

metaphor

personification

simile

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

blood

neither blood nor adultery

both blood and adultery

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

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

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

The baby was stillborn

No one knows for certain

The baby was miscarried

The baby was murdered
14 The speaker mistook Martha for:

a bush

a jutting crag

a wild animal

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

onomatopoeia and allusion

simile and metaphor

metonymy and synecdoche

repetition and imagery
16 The overall tone of the poem may be described as:

angry and frustrated

confused and afraid

joyful and hopeful

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

The soil surrounding the pond is being replanted

Nature shudders at the idea of torturing Martha any further

The spirit of Martha's baby is disturbed

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?

The baby was stillborn

Martha hanged her baby on the tree

Martha drowned her baby in the pond

Martha gave her baby up for adoption
19 When is Martha found by her child's supposed grave?

In the early morning

During the summer

Late at night

Night and day
20 "Sober sad" is an example of:

onomatopoeia

alliteration

assonance

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

synecdoche

simile

metaphor

personification
22 The moss is compared to:

A neglected shrub

The styled hair of a child

A muddy swamp

The handwoven work of a lady
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.

Gothic

Renaissance

Modern

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

Vengeful and belligerent

Scared of Martha

Very worried about Martha

Mildly sympathetic but mostly gossipy

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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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