Question about Robert Frosts: The Road Not Taken?

Question

In the poem Frosts states:
"Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;"

So here is he saying this is the road less traveled because he can visualy see the grass has grown and is not warn down by excessive traffic?

Because then he says this:
"Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,"

Isnt this saying that he is unable to determine that one or the other has been worn more then the other? And if so, how did he choose? I thought the premise was, when you come to a fork in the road, often, you may find that you should take the road less people seem to be taking, as often following the crowd is a bad life choice.

Do I have the premise wrong? If not, how did he distinguish between the two roads?

Answer 1

Basically, you are right.
You left out the last line which states that he 'took the road less traveled, and that has made all the difference.

He is not going with the mainstream, but setting out a different path.

Answer 2

the point of the problem is that u cannot distinguish between the two roads...
the poem is just a question..and probably the depiction of human nature to regret things unnecessarily.
the key word in the lines are "about the same"
this makes the choice even more complicated because thet are not exactly the same, and one has to think some more before making the choice. if the roads were exactly the same, the choice would have been arbitrary and easy to a greater extent.

Answer 3

A very stunnng poem you are right!!!