In 1743, Smart pushed his translation of Pope's "Ode on St. Cecilia's Day" as "Carmen Cl. Alexandri Pope in S. Caeciliam Latine Redditum" and paid for the publication himself. With this translation, he wanted to win Pope's favour and translate Pope's "Essay on Man", but Pope rejected the idea and, after a lettered response and a possible meeting between the two, Smart translated Pope's "An Essay on Criticism" ("De Arte Critica") instead. The initial letter sent from Pope recommending the future translation was prized by Smart. In response to this letter and his budding relationship with Pope, the Pembroke Fellows honoured him with a portrait showing him holding the letter from Pope and allowed him to write a poem in celebration of Jubilee of Pembroke's 400th year in 1744.