For me it means more like the master is giving you some knowledge that comes directly from him, but also (and more important ) he has to teach you how great is the 'hunger to know' more stuff and give you the tools to keep discovering more and more on your own. So, according to our conception of life, age, etc, you are supposed to have more time than your master to find out a huge amount of things beside the ones he talked to you about.
So, 'poor' means that he (the pupil) will probably regret the fact that having the resources he didn't take advantage of it.
=)
But its always relative, you feel whatever you choose to feel in the end !