Hello and welcome to the Discourse. The Thorn is a poem by William Wordsworth written in 1798 and published in the first edition of Lyrical Ballads (1798). It is a long poem famous for the issue of the speaker’s character who appears to be an unreliable narrator speaking of some gossip he has heard of. The poem is narrated by an unnamed, unreliable speaker who directly addresses the reader in a gossiping tone, telling the story of a destitute woman whose lover abandoned her and left her with a child. While the narrator is unreliable, the poem suggests how society can destroy the individual by robbing her of her innocence and then condemning her. The character of the destitute woman in the poem shows unyielding willpower, endurance of trauma, and a preserved sense of individual self.
Structure of The Thorn:
It is a long poem with 253 lines composed in 23 stanzas. Each stanza has 11 lines and all lines of every stanza are of eight syllables (iambic tetrameter) except for the 4th and 9th lines which are of six syllables (iambic trimeter). Thus, the complex structure of stanzas offers a lyrical ballad with a fast-paced meter. The elaborate rhyme scheme is ABCBDEFFEGG. The narration is by a First-person unreliable speaker who conveys the thoughts and beliefs of others in a gossiping manner.
The narrator mentions that the name of the destitute woman was Martha Ray, which can be an allusion to the British singer Martha Ray who was murdered in 1779. The poem explores the themes of social psychology, scandals, gossiping, death, and nature. The poet used Metaphors, Similes, Alliteration, Assonance, Metonymy, Synecdoche, Personification, Imagery, and Hyperbole in the poem.
Summary of the Thorn:
Stanza 1, Lines 1-11
“There is a Thorn—it looks so old,
In truth, you’d find it hard to say
How it could ever have been young,
It looks so old and grey.
Not higher than a two years' child
It stands erect, this aged Thorn;
No leaves it has, no prickly points;
It is a mass of knotted joints,
A wretched thing forlorn.
It stands erect, and like a stone
With lichens is it overgrown.”
The speaker begins by describing an old and overgrown thorn-bush. He explains how remarkably old the thorn bush appears. It is so old that it is difficult to believe it was ever alive and green. The thorn has no leaves or prickles and is a large mass covered with lichens. Lichens are a kind of symbiotic fungus that grows on decaying wood. While the speaker is unnamed and unknown, Wordsworth added a note in the Lyrical Ballad which suggests that the narrator of The Thorn is a mariner, a sea captain. He is not from the area he is describing and thus, he may be talking of some unreliable gossip.
The speaker describes the thorn as a withering plant, almost dying. The narrator repeats the word ‘old.’ Another word ‘erect’ has been repeated, first to offer a comparison to suggest the height of the dying old bush to a two-year-old child, and then to offer the Simile, ‘It stands erect, and like a stone’, as if it is a tombstone. The narrator is talking about something sinister, decaying, and death. The bush has no leaves nor any ‘prickly points’ (alliteration). The only thing that appears living is the lichens overgrowing on the thorn. However, the fungus itself suggests decaying. The poet used the words ‘wretched,’ and ‘forlorn’ that personifies the thorn, which is lonely and unhappy.
Stanza 2 Lines 12-22
“Like rock or stone, it is o’ergrown,
With lichens to the very top,
And hung with heavy tufts of moss,
A melancholy crop:
Up from the earth these mosses creep,
And this poor Thorn they clasp it round
So close, you’d say that they are bent
With plain and manifest intent
To drag it to the ground;
And all have joined in one endeavour
To bury this poor Thorn for ever.”
The speaker continues describing the disheveled and deprecating situation of the thorn-bush. It still stands like a rock (simile) but captured by the lichens and the moss that has captured the thorn trying to bury it in the ground.
The narrator again suggests that the thorn is like a tombstone, a rock. The narrator personifies the thorn again and it offers a dreadful image. The lichens have grown all over the thorn bush. If the thorn is a person, he is covered from head to toe with this invasive fungus. The moss too has overgrown to ‘heavy tufts’, the thorn bush, shackled by the lichens is weighed down by the moss and is exhausted.
The moss is presented as a destructive sinister force that creeps up from the earth to weigh down the thorn. The narrator than personifies the lichens and the moss too as foes to the thorn with an intent to bury him. “Poor Thorn”
Stanza 3 Lines 23-33
“High on a mountain’s highest ridge,
Where oft the stormy winter gale
Cuts like a scythe, while through the clouds
It sweeps from vale to vale;
Not five yards from the mountain path,
This Thorn you on your left espy;
And to the left, three yards beyond,
You see a little muddy pond
Of water—never dry,
Though but of compass small, and bare
To thirsty suns and parching air.”
In the third stanza, the speaker describes the landscape around the thorn to give an idea about its location. The thorn is located high on top of a mountain where stormy winter winds often blow, sweeping from one vale (or valley) to another. It is a vulnerable spot as the thorn must be facing cold, harsh winds again. He further suggests that the thorn is located near the mountain path and there is a small pond that always contains some water. But often that water is not enough to quench anyone’s thirst.
The narrator describes the thorn as a vulnerable, old, dying, decaying person facing the harshest conditions. The wind is so harsh and cold that it “cuts like a scythe,” (simile) offering the image of the thorn bush facing a violent mad murderer.
Stanza 4 Lines 34-44
“And, close beside this aged Thorn,
There is a fresh and lovely sight,
A beauteous heap, a hill of moss,
Just half a foot in height.
All lovely colours there you see,
All colours that were ever seen;
And mossy network too is there,
As if by hand of lady fair
The work had woven been;
And cups, the darlings of the eye,
So deep is their vermilion dye.”
In the fourth stanza, the narrator suddenly shifts the tone. He describes how a lovely heap of moss of different beautiful colors has made a small hill near the thorn. Unlike the moss that has captured the thorn, it appears beautiful and friendly. "As if by hand of lady fair/The work had woven been" (simile)—the speaker compares the elaborate design of the moss to the carefully woven tapestry that a maiden might create.
After describing the harshness of nature in the first three stanzas, the narrator now describes the beauty and delicacy of nature in the same landscape. This moss is different from the one that is trying to bury the thorn. The stanza offers the contrast of beauty and ugliness, delicacy, and harshness of human nature in close proximity.
Stanza 5 Lines 45-55
“Ah me! what lovely tints are there
Of olive green and scarlet bright,
In spikes, in branches, and in stars,
Green, red, and pearly white!
This heap of earth o’ergrown with moss,
Which close beside the Thorn you see,
So fresh in all its beauteous dyes,
Is like an infant’s grave in size,
As like as like can be:
But never, never any where,
An infant’s grave was half so fair.”
In this stanza, the speaker further describes the beauty of the moss and nature besides the decaying and deadly thorn bush. There are colorful hues surrounding this little heap of earth (or mud) covered by moss. It appears so fresh and lively with all hues of colors. The ‘olive-green’ suggests vitality as in green plants and the ‘scarlet bright’ suggests lively blood, this description suggests an image of life. The other hue that the speaker mentions is ‘pearly white’ which suggests innocence, purity, and holiness. The speaker then mentions that the heap of mud is not much in size, and it " Is like an infant's grave in size" (simile)--the heap of the earth is compared to the size of an infant's grave and that justifies the hues of red, green, and pearly white, a symbol of innocence. The speaker has just compared yet not confirmed that it is indeed an infant’s grave, but if it is, it is the loveliest grave site of its kind.
There is a macabre irony in the speaker's likening of the beautiful moss heap to a child's grave.
Stanza 6 Lines 56-66
“Now would you see this aged Thorn,
This pond, and beauteous hill of moss,
You must take care and choose your time
The mountain when to cross.
For oft there sits between the heap,
So like an infant’s grave in size,
And that same pond of which I spoke,
A Woman in a scarlet cloak,
And to herself she cries,
‘Oh misery! oh misery!
Oh woe is me! oh misery!’
The speaker further describes the vivid landscape while inviting the reader to visit the site and see it. However, he warns that if the reader is curious enough and wants to visit, he must be careful. The place is often visited by a mysterious lady who is seen sitting beside the heap of earth near the pond that the speaker discussed before, just a few yards away from the thorn. The woman wears a scarlet cloak and continues to wail and cry. The speaker warns the reader to avoid the lady if they seek to visit the place.
The poet used capitalization of the words ‘Thorn’ and ‘Woman’ which suggests that both are important for the poem. In fact, the thorn is a metaphor for the same woman whose identity is not revealed till now.
Stanza 7 Lines 67-77
“At all times of the day and night
This wretched Woman thither goes;
And she is known to every star,
And every wind that blows;
And there, beside the Thorn, she sits
When the blue daylight’s in the skies,
And when the whirlwind’s on the hill,
Or frosty air is keen and still,
And to herself she cries,
‘Oh misery! oh misery!
Oh woe is me! oh misery!’ ”
The speaker further elaborated on the lady who often visits the landscape. She is a frequent visitor who is often seen sitting beside the thorn. She can be seen during the day and the night. She visits the site even during the harsh season with a ‘whirlwind’ and when the ‘frosty air’ is still. She is such a frequent visitor that every element of nature—from the stars to the wind—knows her. And every time she visits, she is heard crying “Oh misery! Oh misery! Oh woe is me!” (Repetition). This suggests that the woman in the scarlet cloak has some emotional connection with the place, the thorn, and the heap of earth which appears like an infant’s grave. The scarlet color of her cloak also represents love and passion. She keeps repeating the word misery in this beautiful setting, which again suggests that nature is both beautiful and harsh. The scarlet may also represent blood and murder.
Stanza 8 Lines 78-88
“Now wherefore, thus, by day and night,
In rain, in tempest, and in snow,
Thus to the dreary mountain-top
Does this poor Woman go?
And why sits she beside the Thorn
When the blue daylight’s in the sky
Or when the whirlwind’s on the hill,
Or frosty air is keen and still,
And wherefore does she cry?—
O wherefore? wherefore? tell me why
Does she repeat that doleful cry?”
The speaker further concentrates on the woman and wonders why she keeps visiting this remote site in the harshest of the weather. He again mentions the dreadful site around the thorn bush where the woman often visits and sits and he asks the reader to suggest to him why does the woman keep crying? He describes the Woman as ‘wretched’ and ‘poor’ as he previously did to describe the Thorn. The speaker suggests that the woman is as lamentable as the thorn. In some way, they share a sad connection.
Stanza 9 Lines 89-99
“I cannot tell; I wish I could;
For the true reason no one knows:
But would you gladly view the spot,
The spot to which she goes;
The hillock like an infant’s grave,
The pond—and Thorn, so old and grey;
Pass by her door—’tis seldom shut—
And if you see her in her hut—
Then to the spot away!
I never heard of such as dare
Approach the spot when she is there.”
The speaker asked why the woman keeps visiting the site and crying there and he now says that he doesn’t know the reason behind it because nobody knows. This suggests that the speaker is an unreliable narrator. He is curious about knowing the secrets of the woman, whom nobody knows with certainty. This suggests that all the descriptions he has given thus far could be myths, falsehoods, or gossip. The speaker exhorts the reader to visit the site and see by themselves but insists they must visit when the woman is not there. He further asserts that the woman lives in a nearby hut. He says that if someone wishes to visit the site, they must check the door of the hut of the woman which often remains open. If the woman is present, they must run away because he has never heard of anyone visiting the graveyard in the presence of the woman.
Stanza 10 Lines 100-111
“But wherefore to the mountain-top
Can this unhappy Woman go,
Whatever star is in the skies,
Whatever wind may blow?”
“Full twenty years are past and gone
Since she (her name is Martha Ray)
Gave with a maiden’s true good-will
Her company to Stephen Hill;
And she was blithe and gay,
While friends and kindred all approved
Of him whom tenderly she loved.”
In this stanza, the speaker describes the woman as far as he knows or has heard of. He has confirmed that he is an unreliable narrator and doesn’t know the woman with certainty. Furthermore, since nobody visits the site when she is around, it's hard to say if there is actually a woman or if it is just gossip. He reveals that the woman’s name is Martha Ray. Twenty years earlier, she was a loyal maiden who loved a man named Stephen Hill. She was happy with this man, all her friends and family approved of him. He mentions her name as if it were an afterthought again suggesting that the speaker is unreliable.
Stanza 11 Lines 112-121
“And they had fixed the wedding day,
The morning that must wed them both;
But Stephen to another Maid
Had sworn another oath;
And, with this other Maid, to church
Unthinking Stephen went—
Poor Martha! on that woeful day
A pang of pitiless dismay
Into her soul was sent;
A fire was kindled in her breast,
Which might not burn itself to rest.”
In this stanza, the speaker further reveals the details of the mysterious woman in a scarlet cloak named Martha Ray. She loved a man named Stephen Hill and their wedding day was fixed. However, the man betrays her for another ‘Maid’ and marries another woman while leaving ‘Poor Martha’ alone. That filled Martha’s heart with sadness, misery, and a sense of vengeance. The speaker identifies the other woman as “another Maid,” using a generic term that implies that a man can easily exchange one woman for another. This other Maid remains unnamed but the speaker used capitalization to mention her, which suggests that this other woman is important to the story, like the ‘Thorn’ and the ‘Woman’.
The speaker describes Stephen as ‘Unthinking.’ It may mean carefree like Martha was when she fell in love with Stephen. Romanticism suggests that humankind is innocent and capable of making mistakes. Martha was carefree when she fell in love with Stephen, in the same way, it might be the case that Stephen too fell in love with ‘another Maid’ in a carefree manner, without thinking much about Martha. However, he was carefree to the point of being careless, and he consciously chose to betray Martha after impregnating her. This makes Martha the victim and Stephen the culprit. Just like an ugly thorn bush spoils the beautiful surroundings, Stephen ruined Martha’s beautiful carefree life.
Stanza 12 Lines 122-132
“They say, full six months after this,
While yet the summer leaves were green,
She to the mountain-top would go,
And there was often seen.
What could she seek?—or wish to hide?
Her state to any eye was plain;
She was with child, and she was mad;
Yet often was she sober sad
From her exceeding pain.
O guilty Father—would that death
Had saved him from that breach of faith!”
The speaker further reveals that while he doesn’t know the woman named Martha Ray, he has heard about her from other people. ‘They say,’ that after six months she was betrayed, she began visiting the mountain-top, the landscape he described earlier, where there is the thorn. He wonders why she began visiting there, was she trying to search for something, or was she trying to hide something from others? Then he reveals the true reason for the misery of that poor sad woman. She was pregnant and forlorn. Her beloved had betrayed her and had married another Maid. She was not only emotionally disturbed but was suffering physical pain. The speaker then accuses God of the misery of the woman. He says that it would have been better had Stephen died instead of betraying poor Martha. Death would have saved his soul, and Martha would not be in her unfortunate state.
Stanza 13 Lines 133-143
“Sad case for such a brain to hold
Communion with a stirring child!
Sad case, as you may think, for one
Who had a brain so wild!
Last Christmas-eve we talked of this,
And grey-haired Wilfred of the glen
Held that the unborn infant wrought
About its mother’s heart, and brought
Her senses back again:
And, when at last her time drew near,
Her looks were calm, her senses clear.”
The speaker sympathizes with poor Martha in this stanza. He says that it was indeed a ‘sad case’ for ‘such a brain’ to have a baby in her womb when she was already suffering the pain of betrayal and abuse. She was physically and mentally weak at that time. The speaker then mentions another character, an old man named Wilfred, who once said that the child in her womb began to soothe Martha and by the time she was near delivering the child, she began appearing calmer and sober. Now it is clear that the speaker is an unreliable narrator who is talking about a woman he doesn’t know personally, but feels sentimental by her story that he has heard of from different people.
Stanza 14 Lines 144-154
“More know I not, I wish I did,
And it should all be told to you;
For what became of this poor child
No mortal ever knew;
Nay—if a child to her was born
No earthly tongue could ever tell;
And if ’twas born alive or dead,
Far less could this with proof be said;
But some remember well,
That Martha Ray about this time
Would up the mountain often climb.”
The speaker again stresses that he doesn’t know about Martha anymore and says that if he had known her, he would have told more about her. But then, he continues the story based on the rumors he has heard. He says that while Martha was pregnant and was about to deliver the child, nobody knows what happened to her baby. Did she give birth to the baby, and if she did, was the baby born alive or dead? Nobody knows what happened to the baby, but many people remember that Martha would climb to the mountaintop when the baby was due.
Stanza 15 Lines 155-165
“And all that winter, when at night
The wind blew from the mountain-peak,
’Twas worth your while, though in the dark,
The churchyard path to seek:
For many a time and oft were heard
Cries coming from the mountain head:
Some plainly living voices were;
And others, I’ve heard many swear,
Were voices of the dead:
I cannot think, whate’er they say,
They had to do with Martha Ray.”
In this stanza, the speaker keeps up the mystery around the baby of poor Martha. He says that the following winter when she was about to deliver the baby, many people claim that they heard cries at night, coming from the mountain top where Martha often used to visit. Some of the voices that were heard seemed to come from living people, but some locals swear that other voices belonged to the dead. The speaker then suggests that he doesn’t believe what the people say and he doesn’t believe that the voices of the dead had anything to do with Martha Ray.
Stanza 16 Lines 166-176
“But that she goes to this old Thorn,
The Thorn which I described to you,
And there sits in a scarlet cloak,
I will be sworn is true.
For one day with my telescope,
To view the ocean wide and bright,
When to this country first I came,
Ere I had heard of Martha’s name,
I climbed the mountain’s height:—
A storm came on, and I could see
No object higher than my knee.”
The speaker mentioned in the previous stanza that he doesn’t believe the rumors about Martha Ray. But he stresses in this stanza that it is true that she often visits the old Thorn that he previously described and it is true. He repeats that she sits by the thorn in a scarlet cloak, and he knows this for a fact because he once headed to the mountaintop himself. Having just arrived in the region, he wished to observe the ocean through his telescope. However, when he reached the mountaintop, a storm prevented him from seeing beyond his immediate surroundings.
Stanza 17 Lines 177-187
“ ’Twas mist and rain, and storm and rain:
No screen, no fence could I discover;
And then the wind! in sooth, it was
A wind full ten times over.
I looked around, I thought I saw
A jutting crag,—and off I ran,
Head-foremost, through the driving rain,
The shelter of the crag to gain;
And, as I am a man,
Instead of jutting crag, I found
A Woman seated on the ground.”
The speaker further describes his first visit to the mountain when he arrived at this place. He says he was overwhelmed by mist, rain, and heavy winds. Under those stormy conditions, he could not find a refuge right away. As he looked around, he believed he saw a crag, or projecting piece of rock, that might shield him from the elements. However, once he ran toward the crag in the pouring rain, he was startled to find a woman seated on the ground.
Stanza 18 Lines 188-198
“I did not speak—I saw her face;
Her face!—it was enough for me;
I turned about and heard her cry,
‘Oh misery! oh misery!’
And there she sits, until the moon
Through half the clear blue sky will go;
And when the little breezes make
The waters of the pond to shake,
As all the country know,
She shudders, and you hear her cry,
‘Oh misery! oh misery!’ ”
The speaker further reveals his experience when he visited the mountain top for the first time. He saw the woman in the scarlet cloak in such a harsh weather when he could not see anything beyond a few feet because of rain, frost, and winds. He was startled, and a bit nervous. But when he saw her face, he could feel and understand her pain. He turned around and decided to leave her alone when he heard her crying ‘Oh misery! Oh misery!’
The speaker then says that the woman keeps sitting in the same spot for the whole night and day. Whenever the breeze disturbs the water in the little pond, the woman cries again.
Stanza 19 Lines 199-209
“But what’s the Thorn? and what the pond?
And what the hill of moss to her?
And what the creeping breeze that comes
The little pond to stir?”
“I cannot tell; but some will say
She hanged her baby on the tree;
Some say she drowned it in the pond,
Which is a little step beyond:
But all and each agree,
The little Babe was buried there,
Beneath that hill of moss so fair.”
The speaker now raises the question about the connection between the Thorn, the pond, the small hill of moss, the heap of earth covered by the moss, and the woman in the scarlet cloak whose name is Martha. He further asks why the ‘creeping breeze’ continues to stir the water in the pond. And again, he immediately answers all this but adds that he doesn’t know if it is true or certain but he has heard people saying all this. Some people say that after giving birth, Martha hanged the baby on the tree (poor Thorn), while some other people say that she drowned the baby in the pond. Regardless of what different people say, they all agree that after killing, Martha buried the baby under the ‘heap of earth’ covered by the moss. The baby is lying dead beneath the mossy hill. Thus, the speaker ascertains that the ‘heap of earth’ is certainly the grave of an innocent child.
Stanza 20 Lines 210-220
“I’ve heard, the moss is spotted red
With drops of that poor infant’s blood;
But kill a new-born infant thus,
I do not think she could!
Some say, if to the pond you go,
And fix on it a steady view,
The shadow of a babe you trace,
A baby and a baby’s face,
And that it looks at you;
Whene’er you look on it, ’tis plain
The baby looks at you again.”
The speaker continues to delve into the mystery behind the baby of Martha who was presumably killed by herself. He continues to tell the gossip he hears from so many people. He says he heard the moss is spotted red with the infant’s blood. Suggesting that instead of hanging or drowning, Martha might have killed the baby using a dagger or scythe. However, he immediately interjects that he doesn’t believe such rumors as he doesn’t believe Martha could do such a frightening and dreadful act.
However, he shows his support to other rumors that she might have drowned the baby in the pond and says that some people claim to be able to see the baby’s reflection in the pond when looking closely. He insists that each time someone looks upon the reflection, the baby stares right back.
Stanza 21 Lines 221-231
“And some had sworn an oath that she
Should be to public justice brought;
And for the little infant’s bones
With spades they would have sought.
But instantly the hill of moss
Before their eyes began to stir!
And, for full fifty yards around,
The grass—it shook upon the ground!
Yet all do still aver
The little Babe lies buried there,
Beneath that hill of moss so fair.”
While the speaker has shown his sympathy for ‘poor Martha’, he claims that not all people believe she is the innocent victim. Some people claim that she murdered the baby and she must be brought to public justice. When they raised their voice against Martha, they proposed that they would dig up the heap of earth to find the dead body and bones of the baby to prove that she actually murdered the child. However, the speaker claims that as soon as some such people suggested digging up the hill to reveal the dead body of the child, there were tremors in the ground as the hill began to shake. Soon the whole area surrounding the hill began to shake as if an earthquake was about to come. The speaker suggests that while some of the people were determined to punish Martha for what they assumed she did to the baby, nature decided to protect her. People soon gave up the idea to dig the hill and find the body of her baby. Yet, some people are still angry and they swear she killed the baby and buried her beneath the Thorn.
Stanza 22 Lines 231-242
“I cannot tell how this may be,
But plain it is the Thorn is bound
With heavy tufts of moss that strive
To drag it to the ground;
And this I know, full many a time,
When she was on the mountain high,
By day, and in the silent night,
When all the stars shone clear and bright,
That I have heard her cry,
‘Oh misery! oh misery!
Oh woe is me! oh misery!’ ”
The speaker again shows his bewilderment about all these rumors and suggests that he is an unreliable narrator as he knows nothing certain about what he just expressed. However, he tries to bring a degree of certainty about what he said and claims that there certainly is a poor Thorn that it is weighed down by heavy tufts of moss. He also claims to know with full certainty that Martha may often be found on the mountaintop day and night, wailing about her misery, as he himself has heard her crying “‘Oh misery! oh misery! Oh woe is me! oh misery!’ ”
There are many symbols in the poem that the poet uses. The Thorn itself is a symbol suggesting the joy and sadness, the youth and decaying that one may experience in their own life. The thorn symbolizes grief and affliction that keeps growing as Martha experiences betrayal and her love, innocence, and truthfulness are lost. The thorn symbolizes that even the most beautiful and delicate things, like moss, may prove to be deadly, the moss trying to bury the thorn underneath.
The ‘beauteous Heap’ suggests that it is indeed the grave of the innocent baby of Martha and that is why it glows with hues of green, red, and pearl white. That is why Martha keeps visiting the place and she cries while remembering her baby and what happened to him.
The scarlet cloak that Martha wears is also a symbol. The scarlet color symbolizes love and passion. It also symbolizes seduction and adultery, (remember Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter). Also, the scarlet color symbolizes, blood and murder. In a way, the speaker tries to give weight to the rumors he has heard about the killing of the baby by her own mother.
The speaker tries to suggest that while society fooled Martha Ray and betrayed her, after impregnating her, they do not sympathize with her. There was no way that poor forlorn woman could have afforded to groom the baby as a bastard, without a father, in such a harsh society. There is no evidence that she actually killed the baby, she might have given birth to a stillborn child. Yet, some people despise her and wish to punish her. The moss symbolizes society, fungus, trying to weigh down and bury the Thorn, Martha, or the individual.
So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!
