CELEBRATED poet Wang Guozhen died of liver cancer at the age of 59 Sunday, one month before his latest anthology of poems was to be published, according to Beijing News.

    “Time is so cruel. It is heaven that is jealous of a talent … How regretful it is that I only lived 60 years,” was posted on the official Sina Weibo account for Wang’s studio around 9 a.m. Sunday.

    A funeral date has yet to be announced.

    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 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” influenced a generation 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 line from one of 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 death has been widely discussed online, mostly in regards to memories of his poems, nostalgia for the golden age of poetry and the importance of this art form in the present day.

    Yin Hong, a literature critic and professor at 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 in 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, a professor in the literature department at Jilin University, said, “Poetry is the most beautiful and delicate way to express 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 these, with the loss 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, a poetry critic and professor at Nankai University, commented to People’s Daily.

    Wang’s passing has also triggered an increase in the number of subscribers to public Wechat accounts such as Read a Poem for You by young poetry lovers.(SD-Agencies)