In what ways does Whitman comment on the condition of mankind through his poem?

The entire poem is an autobiography of Whitman, his “Song of Myself.” In the process of his descriptions of where he has been and what he has seen and experienced, he is actually describing what all mankind goes through, successes and failures, moments of joy and achievement as well as moments of pain and loss. The remark that best exemplifies his vision is “ That you contribute a verse.” By using the poem or lyric metaphor, he equates everyone’s life with his own, a “Song of Myself.” The technique he employ to comment on the condition of Mankind is to give not only the sights, but the smells, textures, and sounds both of country life and of city life, of poverty, war, fruition, and deprivation. For example, by describing his reaction to the learned astronomer ("When I heard the learned astronomer..."), he is dramatizing the frustration we all feel when a logical "scientific" interpretation conflicts with the poetic beauty of the world.