This article explores the symbolic and functional role of time as represented through natural imagery in literary narratives, focusing on the interplay between artistic time and scenery in selected works such as Maman Biy's Legend and Xalqabad. Unlike chronological or diurnal time, artistic time is fluid and relative, often conveyed through descriptions of environmental elements—sunlight, dawn, storms, and animal behavior—rather than exact timestamps. The study demonstrates how writers use natural scenes not merely for atmospheric effect but to deepen character portrayal, develop plot dynamics, and reflect philosophical ideas about life, change, and human emotion. Through textual analysis, it is shown that the depiction of time through nature intensifies emotional depth, adds symbolic weight, and fosters a more profound reader connection to the narrative. This blending of time and nature enhances the artistic quality of the novel and reveals the inseparability of temporal experience and environmental setting in the literary imagination.

Artistic time, natural imagery, symbolic time

Хализев В.Е. Теория литературы, Москва, «Высшая школа», 1999, 213-бет

Литературный энциклопедический словарь, Москва. «Советская энциклопедия», 272-бет.