"Hope is but the dream of those who wake"

Matthew Prior’s phrase “Hope is but the dream of those who wake” draws an elegant connection between the states of hope and dreaming, casting hope as the conscious counterpart to unconscious dreams. Where dreams are experienced during sleep, representing wishes, fears, and desires beyond the control of the dreamer, hope arises within waking life, a deliberate, aware, and active yearning for better things. Hope and dreams, then, share the same imaginative core, but hope belongs to the alert and engaged mind.

Prior’s insight suggests that hope, while rooted in reality, is nonetheless a product of imagination. Much like dreams, hope projects visions of a reality not yet achieved, fueled by the human capacity to long for improvement, fulfilment, or change. By likening hope to dream, Prior acknowledges both the beauty and the fragility inherent in hope. Dreams are ephemeral, sometimes fantastical, often unconstrained by what is possible. Hope too can be uplifting yet tenuous, sustained by belief rather than certainty.

Yet the connection mapped out by Prior imbues hope with a sense of agency. Whereas the dreamer is passive, hope is cultivated by the awakened will; it is the “dream” that persists not in the unreality of sleep but in the conscious mind, navigating daily struggles and disappointments. To hope, one must face the world as it is, awake to its difficulties and possibilities alike, weaving dreams into the fabric of reality.

Thus, Prior frames hope as an essential aspect of the human condition, a dream that persists through wakefulness, providing comfort, motivation, and direction. It is what keeps individuals striving, imagining better days ahead, and daring to make their aspirations tangible. While hope shares the audacity and vulnerability of dreams, it is rendered more powerful by being the guiding star of conscious, thoughtful lives.