From The Sopranos, Series 3, Episode 2. Anthony Jr [AJ] and Meadow [M] – brother and sister – are talking. Anthony is in his bedroom studying and throws a pen at the wall in anger just as Meadow is passing on the landing outside his door. She enters his room:

M – What’s your beef?

AJ – Asshole Robert Frost. How am I supposed to know what this means? Like I even care. ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’.

M – Oh, my god, I’m so glad I’m not in high school anymore.

AJ – You read this?

M – Sure.

AJ – What does it mean? I have to turn in a close-read by tomorrow.

M – What does it mean?

AJ – ‘The woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep.’

M – Okay, look. Where is he?

AJ – He’s in a field on a horse.

M – He’s not on the horse. The horse has bells.

AJ – So?

M – What kind of horse has bells?

AJ – I don’t know! Just give me the fucking answer so I can write this?

M – A horse that’s pulling a sleigh.

AJ – Oh, so this is a Thanksgiving poem like, ‘over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go’.

M – No, it’s not a Thanksgiving poem. What’s covering the field?

AJ – Snow.

M – Yay! And what does snow symbolize?

AJ – Christmas?

M – Hello? Cold endless white, endless nothing.

AJ – I don’t know!

M – Death.

AJ – I thought black was death.

M – He has ‘miles to go’ before he sleeps.

AJ – So, he must be far away from his house.

M – The sleep of death. The big sleep. He’s talking about his own death, which is yet to come, but will come.

AJ – That’s fucked up.

M – Gotta go.

AJ – I thought black was death.

M – White too.