In his sonnets, Shakespeare will have to not only redefine beauty, but also defend this new conceptualization. By extension, the redefinition of beauty necessitates the redefinition of related concepts, including desire and love. Shakespeare must teach his reader how to love an object that appears to be the antithesis of all things beautiful. He does so by modeling his own love for the Dark Lady, acknowledging just how unconventional her features are when considered against the ideal, and asserting that this love is just as profoundly moving and as transcendental, or in his words, “rare” (l. 13), as any other poet’s love for his muse. Shakespeare’s break from the traditional sonnet subject causes conflict to the extent that it disrupts established forms and declares them open to revision. Yet by redefining beauty, Shakespeare opens society and the poetic form to new possibilities and interpretations, making more room for people who have traditionally been on the margins.