The old scholar seems exhausted, no, really drained, but at least he is not alone. At least he still has guests. However: “He knows why his students visit him, not to keep him company, but because of the (good) wine.” A few, as can be read in this interpretation of the poem, “also show him what they are working on, usually come boldly unannounced” and then, to make matters worse, “they don’t want his judgment or any other good advice for life, but only something that will promote their career Appraise”.
Hamburg Institute for Social Research by Reemtsma: Explanations for the End – Culture
