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Hope springs eternal in the human breast.

Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man

Literature

The story behind the card

This line comes from the first part, or epistle, of An Essay on Man, a long philosophical poem that Pope published anonymously in 1733–34. The next line explains it: ‘Man never Is, but always To be blest’. Pope's point: we are rarely content with the present, but we never stop expecting happiness to come, and that hope keeps us going. Alexander Pope (1688–1744), barred from university as a Catholic, became famous for his satires and his translations of Homer.

Türkçe oku
Umut, insan yüreğinde hep yeniden yeşerir.
Alexander Pope, İnsan Üzerine Bir Deneme

Bu dize, İnsan Üzerine Bir Deneme'nin birinci bölümündendir; Pope bu uzun felsefi şiiri 1733-1734'te adını vermeden yayımlamıştı. Hemen ardından gelen dize anlamı açar: “İnsan hiçbir zaman mutlu değildir, hep mutlu olacaktır.” Pope'a göre şimdiki hâlimizle pek yetinmeyiz, ama mutluluğun geleceğini beklemekten de vazgeçmeyiz; bizi ayakta tutan bu umuttur. Alexander Pope (1688-1744) Katolik olduğu için üniversiteye giremedi; hicivleri ve Homeros çevirileriyle ün kazandı.

Sources and further reading

Background reading: Alexander Pope
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