Groups of Non-Conventional Means Referring to Time in Literary Texts.

Abstract

The paper is an extensive analysis of literary texts spanning different eras, genres, and languages (including the epic of Gilgamesh, Russian works by A. P. Chekhov, S. Dovlatov, G. G. Demidov, as well as English works by W. Shakespeare, R. P. Warren, W. Faulkner, K. Vonnegut). Through this analysis, the author identified a common poetic feature shared by these works: the utilization of both conventional and non-conventional means to convey the passage of time. The objective of the study was to examine and categorize these non-conventional means according to their respective referential spheres, as well as to elucidate their functions within literary texts. Four main groups were identified, encompassing references to food, human physiology, events or objects in the characters’ living spaces, and processes in nature. The study reveals that non-conventional methods of conveying time in literature are considered archaic; however, they are still widely employed to personalize characters’ perception of time and highlight its psychological aspect. The temporality of these methods is generally reinforced through the use of adverbs, prepositions, or grammatical structures that indicate time. In conclusion, it is established that due to the directional nature of time, its fluidity, and the inevitability of approaching death, authors strive to find ways to capture and define time, giving it tangible forms, and in doing so, the past becomes alive once more.