‘A Covenant between the Lines’: Natan Alterman’s Image in Poetic Works

Abstract

During his lifetime and after his demise, many poems were dedicated, either directly or obliquely, to the poet Natan Alterman. The article examines his changing image as depicted by poets of three literary generations. It analyzes thirteen works by nine poets published between 1951 and 2002 which reveal numerous fluctuations in Alterman’s image. Unlike the poetic works of the late 1930s (that I discussed in two earlier studies) in which Alterman appears as an antagonist in ‘dramas’ of unrequited friendship, envy, and twisted personal relationships, in later works a different image emerges. In the earlier works, Alterman’s image is mythologized, that is, he is accredited with supernatural powers. After his death the trend veered to the extreme, elevating him to legendary, even mythical status. Interestingly, with the passage of time his image went through another phase – iconoclasm! Poets began emphasizing Alterman’s flaws and foibles and threatened to sully the untarnished image created earlier.