Poems of the Week

Crooke Booke

by Julia Griffin

“Tiny [17th century] notebook by ‘first Shakespeare geek’ to go on show in Stratford…
The notebook was transcribed by Prof Tiffany Stern … [who] discovered that it was all the more intriguing
because the most famous quotes were ignored… . [T]he notebook’s author overlooked Hamlet’s ‘to be, or not to be’,
preferring a description of kneeling [that he quoted as] ‘Crooke ye pregnant hindges of ye knee’.”
The Guardian

The Geek began the taste for Bardic bindges.
Although his judgment might excite your crindges,
Be grateful, geeky Moderns: stop those whindges;
Kneel down in honor! Crooke ye pregnant hindges!