34. Lyric Apollo. The god Apollo was the ideal of manly beauty. The Grammarian was, it seems, endowed with rare charm of face and form.
35. Long he lived nameless. Youth had passed before the Grammarian really entered upon his quest for knowledge. But he did not despair. His vanishing of youth was but a signal to "leave play for work."
45. Grappled with the world. The world of knowledge, especially ancient learning, which was recovered slowly and with difficulty.
49. Theirs. He wishes to study the "shaping" or writings of poets and sages.
50. Gowned. Put on the scholastic gown.
64. Queasy. Sick at the stomach. He could not get knowledge enough to make him feel a distaste for it.
65-68. "It" in l. 66 refers to l. 67. The "it" in l. 68 refers to "such a life," l. 65.
70. Fancy the fabric. Under the figure of making a complete plan before beginning to build a house, he describes the Grammarian's purpose to know the whole scheme of life before he lived out any part of it.
86. Calculus and tussis (l. 88) are diseases, the stone and bronchitis, that attacked him.
95. Soul-hydroptic. "Hydroptic" is a rare word for "thirsty."