Like his father, he was a Poet, was considered a sage, and had the reputation of being a fair ruler. He abolished Capital punishment for a number of crimes and struggled to keep the political independence of Texcoco during the increasing centralization of Aztec power of Tenochtitlán. He was said to have fathered 144 children.
Unfortunately only one of his poems survives called 'Icuic Nezahualpilli yc tlamato huexotzinco' (song of Nezahualpilli during the war with huexotzinco).
Nezahualpilli was succeeded by his son Cacamatzin.