--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A cliché is dead matter. It causes…" description: "\"A cliché is dead matter. It causes gangrene in the prose around it, and sooner or later it eats your brain,\" — Verlyn Klinkenborg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c74/verlyn-klinkenborg-36181_brain_a-clich-is-dead-matter-it-causes-gangren_3118636.png" --- # A cliché is dead matter. It causes gangrene in the prose… ![“A cliché is dead matter. It causes gangrene in the prose around it, and sooner or later it eats your brain,” quote by Verlyn Klinkenborg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c74/verlyn-klinkenborg-36181_brain_a-clich-is-dead-matter-it-causes-gangren_3118636.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c74/verlyn-klinkenborg-36181_brain_a-clich-is-dead-matter-it-causes-gangren_3118636.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c74/verlyn-klinkenborg-36181_brain_a-clich-is-dead-matter-it-causes-gangren_3118636.png) > “A cliché is dead matter. It causes gangrene in the prose around it, and sooner or later it eats your brain,” [Verlyn Klinkenborg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/verlyn-klinkenborg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Clichés are lifeless, spreading decay in writing and eventually dulling the writer’s mind. **In simple terms:** Clichés rot writing and mind. Key Takeaway Avoid clichés for clearer thinking. Themes writing creativity mental health Mood critical reflective Type analytical advisory When to use this quote - editing - academic writing - creative workshops - personal reflection Key Concepts literary criticism psychology Questions to Reflect On - Do clichés ever help you communicate quickly? - How can you replace a cliché with fresh language? A Different Perspective Clichés can sometimes convey shared meaning efficiently. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Cliche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliche/) [Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prose/) [Sooner or later](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sooner-or-later/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Poetry is dying first. It'll be absorbed into prose sooner or later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/poetry-is-dying-first-it-ll-be-absorbed-into-prose-sooner-or-later/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [The cliche is dead poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-brenan/the-cliche-is-dead-poetry/) [Gerald Brenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-brenan/) > [The cliché is dead poetry. 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