"Cloud Painter": What is the sky's role in the poem? Analyze this symbol's meaning.Use details and examples from the poem to develop a carefully...

The sky in the poem, "Cloud Painter," represents the
illusion of control that we have over our lives. The first stanza
reads:

readability="10">

At first, as you know, the sky is
incidental--

a drape, a backdrop for
the trees and
steeples

This
suggests that the painter appears to paint the sky, but in reality, the sky is the empty
space left by the painting of the rest of the landscape. When paining clouds, the
painter is creating the illusion of sky. The clouds represent our effort to control our
world, but the sky is the stark reminder that we do not have the power to create
anything other than our own perception. 

The poem then
continues:

readability="13">

In this period, the sky becomes
significant.

Cloud forms are
technically correct--mares' tails
sheep-in-the-meadow,
thunderheads.
You can almost tell which scenes have been
interrupted
by summer showers.

How his young wife
dies.
His landscapes achieve belated success.
His is invited to join
the Academy. I forget
whether he accepts or
not.

These two stanzas remind
the reader that even the most technically correct painting, representing life planning,
is only the illusion of control. Even with perfect clouds, sky is not created. It always
there, ever-present despite attempts at changing it. The death of the painter's young
wife justifies this interpretation. Life, like the sky, cannot be
controlled.