That the topics discussed in his poems should not be shared with the world, that his thoughts and opinions should be kept to himself. The negative reactions to his poem did not stop him from continuing to write said poem. “During his lifetime, Whitman continued to refine the volume, publishing many more editions of the book” (Walt Whitman). Whitman showed great resilience when it came to writing his poems. No matter what people had to say about it, how he felt, he kept writing. If he had not shown such resilience, there is a very good chance that poetry would not be what it is today without Whitman. The continuation of his writing led to the creation of some of the most influential poems ever written. One such poem is Me Imperturbe (Published Works). It is poems like this that show the culmination of who Whitman truly was. He expressed his views and feelings towards people. At the time this poem was written, it was strange for people to have this kind of connection with a poet. They no longer captured just his thoughts on love or animals, but the essential thoughts and feelings of a poet and that was something people were not used to.