hope springs eternal

Shortened from hope springs eternal in the human breast, a quote from An Essay on Man (1734) by Alexander Pope.

hope springs eternal

1. The feeling of hopefulness endlessly renews itself.
   • 1734, Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man:

     Hope springs eternal in the human breast;

     Man never is, but always to be blest.

   • 1865, Charles Dickens, chapter 43, in Our Mutual Friend:

     Night after night his disappointment is acute, but hope springs eternal in the scholastic breast, and he follows me again to-morrow.

   • 1915, Elinor Glyn, “The Gospel of Common Sense”, in Three Things:

     But, as hope springs eternal in the human breast, he still goes from doctor to doctor for fresh advice.

   • 2003 April 23, Leon Jaroff, “Hold That Tiger”, in Time‎:

     But hope springs eternal in diehard Tiger fans, and Peter is convinced that someday, somehow, he and his son will see Detroit clinch a championship.

   Synonym: while there's life, there's hope

• never say die
• tomorrow is another day