The sonnet, titled A Meditation on the Worthlessness of Worldly Gain When the Soul Succumbs to the Greatest Tragedy of All—Hell Chosen Over Heaven’s Dawn, explores the futility of pursuing worldly success at the expense of spiritual integrity. It questions the value of wealth, power, and acclaim—depicted as transient and hollow—when they come at the cost of inner peace and the soul’s eternal light. The poem warns that ambition can dim the soul’s flame, leaving one with a pyrrhic victory: the world gained, yet heaven forsaken for hell’s darkness. This echoes the biblical admonition in Mark 8:36 (KJV): “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” The sonnet serves as a poetic reflection on this verse, urging readers to weigh the ultimate cost of their choices.

What profit lies in grasping all the earth,
The gold, the power, thrones of fleeting reign,
If in the chase you trade your spirit’s worth,
And find your soul adrift in dark refrain?
The world’s applause, a hollow, fleeting sound,
Its treasures rust, its glories fade to dust,
While inward peace, once lost, is rarely found,
A heart unbound by greed begins to rust.
For what is wealth if joy remains unseen?
What crown endures when love has slipped away?
The soul’s a flame no riches can redeem,
A light that dims beneath ambition’s sway.
So weigh the cost when all the world is won,
This tragedy of all—to choose hell over heaven’s sun.