“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust” is found in Genesis 3:19. It is part of a burial service, and the message is that we started with Adam who was made from dust and we end as dust when we die and get buried. In a song by Linkin Park called Skin to Bone, one line is repeated throughout the song: “Skin to bone, steel to rust, ash to ashes dust to dust, let tomorrow have its way with the promises we made, ash to ashes, dust to dust.” In the song, the allusion aids the message that you have to deal with your actions by emphasizing the ominous message of “ash to ashes, dust to dust.” The Cancer Society of Finland released an anti-smoking ad as part of their campaign (below left). 





The message here is emphasized by the allusion because it is saying that the ashes of the cigarette will make you turn into ashes, or die. In the poem “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust” Alfred Castner King writes about the reactions of different cultures to death and what death means. He writes “Nor silent lips disclose their trust; Ashes to ashes, dust to dust!" What he means here is that when someone dies they can’t tell secrets, and he reinforces the message by making an allusion to the bible. An oil painting artist, Fulvio Di Piazza, paints using inspiration from the bible.  This painting (shown below right), titled “Ashes to ashes”, utilizes the allusion it makes because it depicts both ashes and dust in the shape of a human head. This is because the passage is about humans and our death. This allusion is usually depicted very seriously.

BK