This article proposes close reading modes for literary codeworks and AI-generated writing, demonstrating how integrating philological analysis with code-based insights uncovers relevant textual layers in digital literature. Through multimodal readings of Eric Andreychek’s Perl poem Jabberwocky and Nick Montfort’s Taroko Gorge, the study demonstrates how analytical methods known from ‘classic’ literary scholarship may augment and benefit a Critical Code Studies perspective. The article features an analysis of previously unpublished archive material from Jörg Piringer’s tiny poems. In exploring questions of authorship, reception, and canon formation, the article also addresses uneven global representation and the challenges of preserving digitally ephemeral works. By emphasizing close reading strategies for both code and AI, the discussion points toward broader critical frameworks necessary for navigating evolving digital literary genres.