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

Wilfred

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

Their families disapproved of the union

Martha moved away

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

onomatopoeia

personification

a simile
5 The thorn is described as:
poor

old

grey

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

Stephen Hill

Wilfred

Martha Ray's father
7 The description of Martha as "mad" refers to:
her insanity

neither her anger nor her insanity

her anger

both her anger and insanity
8 When Martha is pregnant, her baby seems to:
cause her to have bad dreams

make her upset

make her feel sick

bring her senses back again
9 Wilfred of the glen is most likely:
Martha's brother

an older local man

Martha's former lover

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

allusion

simile

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

neither blood nor adultery

blood

both blood and 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?
No one knows for certain

The baby was stillborn

The baby was miscarried

The baby was murdered
14 The speaker mistook Martha for:
a wild animal

a tree

a bush

a jutting crag
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:
angry and frustrated

confused and afraid

somber and mysterious

joyful and hopeful
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

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
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

The baby was stillborn

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

In the early morning

Late at night

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

onomatopoeia

metonymy

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

metaphor

simile

synecdoche
22 The moss is compared to:
The styled hair of a child

The handwoven work of a lady

A muddy swamp

A neglected shrub
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

Modern

Gothic

Renaissance
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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