Wang Guozhen and his poems are still popular among Chinese readers. Sun Xinming / For China Daily

Most poets spend their lives in shadowed quietude, in the wake of the golden years for poetry in the late 1970s and the entire '80s.

The former "Prince of Poetry" Wang Guozhen, however, is busier than ever since he shot to stardom in the late '80s.

"I am the only poet whose works have been pirated all through my (career's) 22 years," the 55-year-old says.

After graduating from junior high school in 1971, Wang worked the night shift at an optical instrument factory in Beijing.

When the national college entrance examination was resumed in 1977, he taught himself the relevant senior high school courses in six months and obtained admission to Guangzhou's Jinan University, in 1978.

He published his first poem in China Youth Daily newspaper, in 1979. This success encouraged him to submit more poems for publication to newspapers and magazines - but 90 percent of them were rejected.

The wheel of fortune turned in 1990, when his poetry anthology The Youth Tide became hugely popular, especially among young students, who copied his lines by hand and treasured them as mottos.

The reason for his success can be attributed to two main reasons: His words and images are simple and easy to comprehend and they manifest an inspirational spirit and optimistic attitude toward life.

After becoming famous, Wang was invited to give lectures around the country, where he was constantly asked for his autograph.

"I felt embarrassed about my bad handwriting, so I decided to practice calligraphy," he says.

Now his inscriptions can be found at tourist attractions across the country and his calligraphic works have been presented as national gifts to foreign leaders.

He made another transition in 2003 by learning to compose, and this has become a priority during the past few years.

"I am a person who is used to listening to my heart," he explains. "I have always loved music, so I just tried it out."

To date, he has completed more than 400 compositions, in two series: One sets traditional Chinese poems to music; the other is a music album about the country's provinces, municipalities and counties.

He recently finished production for a CD of 80 traditional Chinese poems in elementary school textbooks, while production of 86 works for secondary school textbooks will start next year.

Wang says now he is engaged in various kinds of social activities, mostly related to calligraphy, painting and music. Writing poems, for the moment, is on the backburner.