--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why would one ever be so insane as to…" description: "\"Why would one ever be so insane as to ditch a perfectly beautiful metaphor? Cut back, of course, prune if you like, so that the best metaphors are clea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bc/marie-rutkoski-7339_back_why-would-one-ever-be-so-insane-as-to-di_1611314.jpg" --- # Why would one ever be so insane as to ditch a perfectly… ![“Why would one ever be so insane as to ditch a perfectly beautiful metaphor? Cut back, of course, prune if you like, so that the best metaphors are clear and sparkling. But I will throw out unread the book that promises me no metaphors inside.” quote by Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bc/marie-rutkoski-7339_back_why-would-one-ever-be-so-insane-as-to-di_1611314.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bc/marie-rutkoski-7339_back_why-would-one-ever-be-so-insane-as-to-di_1611314.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bc/marie-rutkoski-7339_back_why-would-one-ever-be-so-insane-as-to-di_1611314.jpg) > “Why would one ever be so insane as to ditch a perfectly beautiful metaphor? Cut back, of course, prune if you like, so that the best metaphors are clear and sparkling. But I will throw out unread the book that promises me no metaphors inside.” [Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Metaphors should be clear and vivid; unnecessary or cluttered imagery weakens communication. **In simple terms:** Keep metaphors clear and useful. Key Takeaway Trim or replace confusing metaphors. Themes communication clarity literary style Mood thoughtful critical Type literary advice When to use this quote - novel editing - academic writing - public speaking - marketing copy Key Concepts rhetoric writing technique Questions to Reflect On - When is a metaphor essential versus decorative? - How does simplicity affect impact? A Different Perspective Over‑editing can strip a work of its unique voice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Metaphor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metaphor/) [Metaphors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metaphors/) [Promises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promises/) [Prune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prune/) ## Related quotes > [“The best metaphors are a bit magical. They conjure connections that weren’t there in our minds before,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/the-best-metaphors-are-a-bit-magical-they-conjure-connections-that/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [Ant Prune was holding one of the squirrels in her hand. ‘And once a day, we have ta clean their little private parts with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-stohl/ant-prune-was-holding-one-of-the-squirrels-in-her-hand-and-once-a-day/) [Margaret Stohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-stohl/) > [According to the statistics, a man eats a prune every twenty seconds. I don't know who this fellow is, but I know where to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morey-amsterdam/according-to-the-statistics-a-man-eats-a-prune-every-twenty-seconds-i/) [Morey Amsterdam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morey-amsterdam/) > [I love to prune my roses. That's the one thing I really feel I do pretty well. Other things I usually, because I travel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-andrews/i-love-to-prune-my-roses-that-s-the-one-thing-i-really-feel-i-do/) [Julie Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-andrews/) > [“The journey of life require pruning, like an architect who continue to re-design his plan until he achieved the desired goal; prune your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anikor-daniel/the-journey-of-life-require-pruning-like-an-architect-who-continue-to/) [ANIKOR Daniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anikor-daniel/) > [Give a lot, expect a lot, and if you don't get it, prune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/give-a-lot-expect-a-lot-and-if-you-don-t-get-it-prune/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [“Adversity prunes the pages of growth and prosperity in the book of your life. You only have to determine how you shape each page.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-g-duarte/adversity-prunes-the-pages-of-growth-and-prosperity-in-the-book-of/) [Jeffrey G. Duarte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-g-duarte/) > [You must prune dead or dying wood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-giles/you-must-prune-dead-or-dying-wood/) [Warren Giles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-giles/) > [Ineffective or weak brain connections are pruned in much the same way a gardener would prune a tree or bush, giving the plant a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/ineffective-or-weak-brain-connections-are-pruned-in-much-the-same-way/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [Wine, women and song have been replaced by prune juice, a heating pad and the Gong Show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hope/wine-women-and-song-have-been-replaced-by-prune-juice-a-heating-pad/) [Bob Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hope/) > [“Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune,’ said the giant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/ah-shut-up-dursley-yeh-great-prune-said-the-giant/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [Every time you'd turn on the set you'd see me eating a prune in a prune ad. My friends used to call me Prune…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-faustino/every-time-you-d-turn-on-the-set-you-d-see-me-eating-a-prune-in-a/) [David Faustino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-faustino/) > [There's no more faith in thee than in a stewed prune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/there-s-no-more-faith-in-thee-than-in-a-stewed-prune/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I love to prune. I have a physical need to do things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-pullman/i-love-to-prune-i-have-a-physical-need-to-do-things/) [Bill Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-pullman/) > [Prune what is turgid, elevate what is commonplace, arrange what is disorderly, introduce rhythm where the language is harsh, modify where it is too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quintilian/prune-what-is-turgid-elevate-what-is-commonplace-arrange-what-is/) [Quintilian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quintilian/) ## More by Marie Rutkoski > [“They had been dreamers. Her father always said that this was why they had been easy to conquer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/they-had-been-dreamers-her-father-always-said-that-this-was-why-they/) [Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/) > [Whether we think of Disney's blonde beauty and her pumpkin carriage or Marissa Meyer's recent recasting of 'Cinderella' as a cyborg in the young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/whether-we-think-of-disney-s-blonde-beauty-and-her-pumpkin-carriage/) [Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/) > [“For a while there was no other sound than the liquid whisper of my brush across paper, and as I painted,I thought about how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/for-a-while-there-was-no-other-sound-than-the-liquid-whisper-of-my/) [Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/) > [“There it was again. That look, livid with hidden things. A secret. 'What is it, Kestrel? Tell me what's wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/there-it-was-again-that-look-livid-with-hidden-things-a-secret-what/) [Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/) > [“Your promises are worth nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/your-promises-are-worth-nothing/) [Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/) > [“Cold without, color within. This was how it had been.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/cold-without-color-within-this-was-how-it-had-been/) [Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/) > [“An emotion clamped down on her heart. It squeezed her into a terrible silence. But he said nothing after that, only her name, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/an-emotion-clamped-down-on-her-heart-it-squeezed-her-into-a-terrible/) [Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/) > [I love seeing a story evolve over several books and watching characters develop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/i-love-seeing-a-story-evolve-over-several-books-and-watching/) [Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/) > [“I can't - Kestrel, you must understand that I would never claim you. Calling you a prize - my prize - it was only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/i-can-t-kestrel-you-must-understand-that-i-would-never-claim-you/) [Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/) > [“Tch. Lovely lady, won’t you hear my plan? It is the very best. You’ll like it. Here it is: I am waiting.” “Sunbathing.” “Waiting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/tch-lovely-lady-won-t-you-hear-my-plan-it-is-the-very-best-you-ll/) [Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/) > [“Kestrel's eyes slipped shut. She faded in and out of sleep. When Arin spoke again, she wasn't sure whether he expected her to to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/kestrel-s-eyes-slipped-shut-she-faded-in-and-out-of-sleep-when-arin/) [Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/) > [For many, many years, I thought that I wasn't good enough or that I would never be able to create something that could touch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/for-many-many-years-i-thought-that-i-wasn-t-good-enough-or-that-i/) [Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/) > [“She could've slept then. She wanted to. Sleep was blind, it was deaf, and it would take her away from this room and these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/she-could-ve-slept-then-she-wanted-to-sleep-was-blind-it-was-deaf-and/) [Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/) > [“She remembered how her heart, so tight, like a scroll, had opened when Arin kissed her. It had unfurled. If her heart were truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/she-remembered-how-her-heart-so-tight-like-a-scroll-had-opened-when/) [Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/) > [“If you would like to know how easy it is to overlook evil, Petra could tell you: it is the easiest thing in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/if-you-would-like-to-know-how-easy-it-is-to-overlook-evil-petra-could/) [Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/) [Explore all 88 Marie Rutkoski quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/) ## More Back quotes > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I honestly would like to get that Frankie fight back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-mendes/i-honestly-would-like-to-get-that-frankie-fight-back/) [Chad Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-mendes/) > [Drumming's pretty physical. We sit at the back of the stage getting beat up like a workhorse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee/drumming-s-pretty-physical-we-sit-at-the-back-of-the-stage-getting/) [Tommy Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee/) > [I never want to look back on any moment and say I could have done more. So I go all in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-haze/i-never-want-to-look-back-on-any-moment-and-say-i-could-have-done/) [Scott Haze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-haze/) > [I wish that I had known back then that a mastery of process would lead to a product. Then I probably wouldn't have found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/i-wish-that-i-had-known-back-then-that-a-mastery-of-process-would/) [Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/) > [It's what the people wanted at the time, but the country could not be half-segregated and half-integrated, just as it could not be half-slave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wallace/it-s-what-the-people-wanted-at-the-time-but-the-country-could-not-be/) [George Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wallace/) > [I've always stuck my arms behind my back anyway when trying to block a shot in the penalty area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millie-bright/i-ve-always-stuck-my-arms-behind-my-back-anyway-when-trying-to-block/) [Millie Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millie-bright/) > [I'm sure at some point I will get back into coaching, but right now I need to focus completely on my kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ewing/i-m-sure-at-some-point-i-will-get-back-into-coaching-but-right-now-i/) [Patrick Ewing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ewing/) > [Any time someone achieves success before they've earned it, it always comes back to haunt them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-white/any-time-someone-achieves-success-before-they-ve-earned-it-it-always/) [Ron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-white/) > [In Congress, Florida Republicans worked with the Trump administration to secure funding for coastal restoration projects following the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/in-congress-florida-republicans-worked-with-the-trump-administration/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [Back in the really olden days, dinner was seldom a ceremonial event for U.S. families. Only the very wealthy had a separate dining room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/back-in-the-really-olden-days-dinner-was-seldom-a-ceremonial-event/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [We're all painfully aware of how suddenly violence can occur, how crippling it is, and how survivors have to find a way back from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dini/we-re-all-painfully-aware-of-how-suddenly-violence-can-occur-how/) [Paul Dini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dini/) > [Ronaldo is just an athlete. He works so hard and back to back; he is always there. But if you work hard, can you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-davids/ronaldo-is-just-an-athlete-he-works-so-hard-and-back-to-back-he-is/) [Edgar Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-davids/) > [I do spend a lot of weekends on the road. I have to pace myself. It can be pretty busy, but I'm not out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/i-do-spend-a-lot-of-weekends-on-the-road-i-have-to-pace-myself-it-can/) [Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/) > [British Forces should be in a position to give back in a ten fold measure any attack that the Germans may attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-banting/british-forces-should-be-in-a-position-to-give-back-in-a-ten-fold/) [Frederick Banting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-banting/) Browse all 9,709 Back quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Why would one ever be so insane as to ditch a perfectly beautiful metaphor? Cut back, of course, prune if you like, so that the best metaphors are clear and sparkling. But I will throw out unread the book that promises me no metaphors inside.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marie Rutkoski" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/why-would-one-ever-be-so-insane-as-to-ditch-a-perfectly-beautiful/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Back" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/why-would-one-ever-be-so-insane-as-to-ditch-a-perfectly-beautiful/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bc/marie-rutkoski-7339_back_why-would-one-ever-be-so-insane-as-to-di_1611314.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bc/marie-rutkoski-7339_back_why-would-one-ever-be-so-insane-as-to-di_1611314.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bc/marie-rutkoski-7339_back_why-would-one-ever-be-so-insane-as-to-di_1611314.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Why would one ever be so insane as to ditch a perfectly beautiful metaphor? Cut back, of course, prune if…” — Marie Rutkoski", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Marie Rutkoski", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Why would one ever be so...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/why-would-one-ever-be-so-insane-as-to-ditch-a-perfectly-beautiful/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/why-would-one-ever-be-so-insane-as-to-ditch-a-perfectly-beautiful/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```