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?
Stephen Hill

Wilfred

Martha Ray

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

Stephen left Martha for another woman

Stephen moved away

Their families disapproved of the union
4 "Cuts like a scythe" is an example of:
personification

a simile

a metaphor

onomatopoeia
5 The thorn is described as:
grey

old

poor

all of the above
6 "O guilty father" most likely refers to:
Martha Ray's father

God

Stephen Hill

Wilfred
7 The description of Martha as "mad" refers to:
both her anger and insanity

her anger

her insanity

neither her anger nor her insanity
8 When Martha is pregnant, her baby seems to:
make her feel sick

cause her to have bad dreams

make her upset

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

an older local man

Martha's former lover

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

personification

allusion

simile
11 What does the color red most likely represent in the poem?
neither blood nor adultery

both blood and adultery

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

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 miscarried

The baby was stillborn

The baby was murdered
14 The speaker mistook Martha for:
a bush

a tree

a wild animal

a jutting crag
15 The speaker conveys the tone and style of a ballad through his use of:
onomatopoeia and allusion

repetition and imagery

metonymy and synecdoche

simile and metaphor
16 The overall tone of the poem may be described as:
confused and afraid

joyful and hopeful

somber and mysterious

angry and frustrated
17 Which of the following is not a likely reason why the little pond stirs suddenly?
The soil surrounding the pond is being replanted

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

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?
The baby was stillborn

Martha drowned her baby in the pond

Martha gave her baby up for adoption

Martha hanged her baby on the tree
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:
metonymy

alliteration

onomatopoeia

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

synecdoche

metaphor

simile
22 The moss is compared to:
A muddy swamp

The handwoven work of a lady

The styled hair of a child

A neglected shrub
23 "A fire was kindled in her breast" is an example of:
simile

allusion

personification

metaphor
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

Very worried about Martha

Mildly sympathetic but mostly gossipy

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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