Wolfe1

EmilyWolfe
Herzog
APLitPeriod4
November20,2014
Rock,Paper,Scissors

Rock,paper,scissors,Shoot!
Thiscutelittlegameisacommon,everydayexampleofthewayrockisrobbedofits
power.Itstragic,really.Mostofthesituationsinthisgamemakeperfectsense.Scissorscut
paper,arocksquashesscissors,butinwhatpossiblewaydoesaflimsylittlepieceofpaper
defeattheallpowerfulrock?AllIseeisyourhandgentlyrestingonmyfist,yourpaper
coveringupmyrocklikeawarmblanket.Itsquiteromantic,actually.
Yet,asdeclaredbytheuniverse,rockcandestroyscissorsbutisconqueredbya
simplepieceofpaper.
Rockisbothpowerfulandvulnerable.Asababy,youwererockedtosleepinyour
parentsarms.Tomorrow,youmighthearamazingorterriblenewsthatwillcompletelyrock
yourworld.Kidsthrowharmlessrocksinrivers,whilesoldiersshootharmfulrocksthrough
cannons.RockcanbeasintenseasaRollingStonesguitarsolo,orasgentleastheacoustic
riffinBlackbirdbytheBeatles.Thisambiguityofthewordstemsfromitsprogressionof
definitionsovertime.Ithasgainedincreasinglypolarizedandpassionateconnotations.
Whenthewordrock,orthelatinwordrokkewasfirstusedincontext,ithadone
simplemeaning.Arockwasanaturallyoccurringmassofsolidmineral(Webster).Arockcan
beaplanet,oritcanbeapebble.Butarockisperceivedassomethingsturdyand
permanent.Rock,orrokkewasdefinedsolelyinitsliteralsenseforhundredsofyears.But
intheBible,thewordrockwasusedbyKingJamestodescribethelandonwhichhewould
buildhischurch.Hesaid,AndIsayalsountothee,ThatthouartPeter,anduponthisrockI
willbuildmychurchandthegatesofhellshallnotprevailagainstit(Matthew16:18).The

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useofrockinthissentencesaidbyKingJamescouldbesimplytalkingabouttheearth,as
onehugerock.ButIthinkthatthispassagedepictsoneoftheearliestusesofrockinamore
figurativesenseaswell.KingJameswantedhischurchtobebuiltinthemoststurdyand
reliableplacepossible.Achurchissomethingthatpeoplerelyonitissomethingthatcannot
bedestroyedbyapieceofpapercoveringit(sorry).Heneedsittoberocksteady.
Rock,rock,rock,rock,steady,eddy,eddy,eddy,Rock!Steady!Causeyourteam,
aintevenready!Thischeer,squawkedbycheerleadersatleast8timesateveryhighschool
footballgameinthetristatearea,usesrock(amassofsolidmineral)inawaythatdepicts
theplayersstrongandsteadyabilities.Theirteamisstrong,sturdy,andunbreakablejustlike
arock.Thischeeralsoconnotesanothermeaningofrock.Asthecheerleadersperformthis
cheer,theyswaybackandforth,theirarmsandlegsmovingtothebeatinperfectharmony.
Theyrock,andtheyrockatit.Thisconnotationofrockassomethingsolid,butalsoas
somethingpositiveandexcitingdepictstherootsofhowIusetheword.WhenIsayrock,(as
longasImnotactuallytalkingaboutsolidifiedminerals),Ioftenuseittohaveameaningof
positiveintensity.Arockispowerfulandstrong,sowhenIusetheword,Iwantittocarrya
connotationofpassion.
Whilerockisoftenusedtodisplayintensity,theverbformofthewordcanhavevery
gentleorveryharshconnotations.Theverbformofrock,orthelatinwordrokken,started
outsimplymeaningtomovegentlybackandforth(OxfordDictionary).Ababyisrockedto
sleepinarockingchair.Aboatrockssmoothlybackandforthonthegentlewaves.Butover
time,thewordrocknotonlyincreasedinusage,butinintensity.Now,ifsomeonewereto
thinkthattorocksolelymeanttoswaygentlybackandforth,theymightabitconfusedwhen
someonesaysthatarisingearthquakeisabouttorocktheground.Overtime,theverbrock
begantoadoptsomeofthestrongandintenseconnotationsofthenounrockintoits

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meaning.Alaterdefinitionoftheverbrockis,tocausetoswayortiltviolently(Oxford
Dictionary).Personally,Ibelievethatthewordrockisbestusedinsituationsofintensityand
power.ButIalsothinkthatIperceiveassomethingwithtrueambiguity,andIthinkthatthis
ambiguityisbestdepictedthroughoneofthenewestandmostintensemeaningsofrock.
Whilethegentlerockisstillhelddeartoourheartsaswethinkofadorablebabiesbeing
rockedtosleep,thisnewrock,thetypethatwillrockyourworldhaspavedthewayforone
ofthebestmeaningsofthewordrock:rockandrollmusic.
ThetermrockandrolltodescribemusiciscreditedtoaradiodeejaynamedAlan
Freed.In1951,heusedthetermrockandrollwhichlaterwasshortenedtojustrockto
describetheuptempoR&BrecordsheplayedontheClevelandradiostationWJW.Thisterm
quicklyspreadthroughoutthecountryandsoonbecameanofficialgenreofmusicwithits
ownsetoftechnicalchordsprogressionsandrhythms.IntheOxfordDictionary,Rockand
Rollmusicwassoongivenitsveryowndefinitionasastyleofmusiccharacterizedbybasic
drumbeat,generally4/4riffs,basedon(usuallyelectric)guitar,bassguitar,drumsand
vocals.Thiswasageneralandsomewhatvaguedefinitionbecausethatsexactlywhatmade
rockandrollunique.Itcouldbeportrayedinendlessdifferentways.Butduetothisnew
definition,wordrockwasgivenanevengreaterconnotationofpositiveintensity.Goodrock
androllmusicrocked.Itrockedhard.Butnow,literallyanythingcanrock,ifitsawesome
enough.Irock,yourock,thismacncheeserocks,snowdaysrock,APLitrocks,myessay
rocks.Ithinkthatthisisprobablythemostrelevantandmostpopularuseofthewordrock
today,butcomesfromalongancestryofrocksthatcamebeforeitstime.Itmustpayits
respects.Rockisawordthatcamefromhumbleroots,butovertimeitbecamesomethingthat
carriedagreatermeaningofmovementandintensity.Ithinkthatrockusedsooftentoday
becauseitbringspassionandintensitytoaconversation.WhenIusethewordrock,Iwant

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peopletofeelasenseofmovement.IwantthemtofeelthewayIammovedbywhateverI
amtalkingaboutandIwantthemtomovealongwithme.
Rockisawordthatcanbebothharshandgentle.Itcanbebothpositiveandnegative.
ButIthinkthattheaspectofthewordthatbindsthemeaningstogetheristheuniversal
connotationofpassionandintensity.Acanpersongentlyrockababyintheirarmswithlove,
orlettheirbodyslowlyrockbackandforthtothesoftbeatofasong.Buttheearthcanalso
rockthegroundbeneathus,leavinghundredspeopledevastated.Arockandrollsongcan
bringastadiumofthousandstotheirfeetwithitsintensevibrationsandpoundingrhythms.
Thepureambiguityoftheworddisplaystheideathatpassioncanbegoodandbad.Passion
isdangerous,butamazing.Passioncanmakepeopleweak,butwithoutityoucannotbetruly
strong.
Whilerockcantdefeatpaper,itcrushesscissorseverytime.

WorksCited
"AlanFreedBiography."RockandRollHallofFame.TheRockandRollHallofFame
Museum,n.d.Web.20Nov.2014.
"Rock."MerriamWebster.MerriamWebster,n.d.Web.20Nov.2014.
"Rock."OnlineEtymologyDictionary.N.p.,n.d.Web.20Nov.2014.
"Rock."OxfordEnglishDictionary.OxfordEnglishDictionary,n.d.Web.19Nov.2014.