Celebrated poet Wang Guozhen died of liver cancer at the age of 59 on Sunday, one month before his latest anthology of poems was to be published, according to Beijing News.
Born in 1956 and a graduate of Jinan University in Guangzhou, where he majored in literature, Wang kicked off his poetry career in 1985, when his works were frequently posted in newspapers and magazines.
His books sold so well in 1990 that the people in the publishing business called it "The year of Wang Guozhen". The following decade witnessed an astonishing output of over 50 books.
His works such as Going the Distance and Beyond Yourself have influenced a large number of readers born in the 60s and 70s and some of his poems are still often quoted by celebrities and writers.
During a speech at the 2013 APEC CEO Summit in Indonesia, Chinese President Xi Jinping quoted a sentence from Wang's poem, saying "There is no mountain higher than man, and no road longer than his feet", to emphasize China's determination regarding economic reform, which made Wang's works more popular.
The poet's demise has started heated discussions online, mostly about memories of his poems, nostalgia for the golden age of poetry and the importance of this art form in the present day.
Yin Hong, literature critic and professor from Tsinghua School of Journalism and Communication, said, "Another icon of our times has passed away."
"I was inspired by his poems and copied every sentence down on my notebooks," Wang Ling, a Sina weibo user, posted. "Although my Chinese teacher told me I might encounter greater poets as I grew up, which I did, I still miss the time when I had the patience to read poems and really believed in the ideal world built by his words."
Ma Dayong, professor of the Literature department of Jilin University, said, "Poetry is the most beautiful and delicate form of expressing our thoughts and words. The ability to appreciate this special art requires reading, thinking, experience and especially empathy. This all takes time. But now when people have time, they go out for entertainment. Not many people are willing to slow down to read. Only at times like this, with the demise of a famous poet, do people turn back to things that used to touch their hearts."
"Poetry's role in shaping people's worlds is simply irreplaceable," Luo Zhenya, poetry critic and professor of Naikai University commented in a report by People's Daily.
Wang's passing has also triggered an increase in the number of subscribers to public Wechat accounts like Read A Poem For You among young poetry lovers.
