'סימן של אמנציפציה' או - 'אקט של מלחמה'? על זיקתה הפארודית של שירת אבידן אל שירת אלתרמן

This study examines the nature of the relationship between David Avidan's poetry and that of Alterman. The former belonged to the "Likrat" group, which had a number of members who were known as severe critics of Alterman's work. Avidan embarked on his poetic career at what may be called the line of demarcation between two literary generations. His first poems seem to follow the formal norms of the Shlonsky-Alterman school, but as he came closer to the "Likrat" group the parody in his use of Altermanic norms became more and more apparent. As the Formalists have pointed out, this is a conspicuous characteristic of literary transition periods. Alterman's verse thus becomes a model exposed to criticism leveled by means of disparagement and parody. In the main, this study examines the devices Avidan employs to parody Altermanic texts; he aimed his parody at the paramount characteristics of Alterman's poetics, which had already been attacked by other members of the "Likrat" group. Note is therefore taken of Avidan's early verse, as well as of his parodies of Alterman's metre and rhythm, texts and imagery. Avidan's parody focuses primarily on two targets: the esoteric, deliberately ornate language and what he sees as the bombastic certainty of the Altermanic poetic statement. The parody now becomes twofold: on the one hand, through imitation and exaggeration, Avidan exposes Alterman's devices, and on the other, he presents his own alternative poetics. The gap between the former and the latter creates a blunt, direct and intentionally reductive poetic statement.