On this page:
Is this some kind of joke?
No. The interpreter works, the example programs run correctly, and it is genuinely possible to write new programs. Whether you want to is a separate question.
Why does this exist?
Bespoke is an evolution of Poetic, another esoteric language by Josiah Winslow. Where Poetic encodes Brainfuck instructions via word length, Bespoke uses the same encoding principle but defines its own, richer instruction set — complete with a stack, a heap, arbitrary-precision integers, and structured control flow.
The name reflects this: a Bespoke program is tailor-made, fitted exactly to the prose that carries it.
How do I write and run Bespoke programs?
Install the interpreter (see the Download page) and run:
For writing programs, consult the Tutorial. You can also experiment in your browser on the Try It Online page.
Who made this?
Bespoke was designed and implemented by Josiah Winslow. This site is an adaptation of the original Poetic site, rebranded for Bespoke.
Why does the prose seem so strange?
Fitting natural-language words to specific length sequences is genuinely difficult. The goal is for programs to read as plausible prose — or at least interesting abstract poetry — while each word secretly encodes a digit in the instruction stream.
Are there practical uses for Bespoke?
Bespoke is Turing-complete and can in theory compute anything computable. In practice it is an esoteric language primarily meant for exploration, art, and the peculiar challenge of writing executable literature.