Smart's two most widely known works are "A Song to David" and "Jubilate Agno", both at least partly written during his confinement in asylum. However, "Jubilate Agno" was not published until 1939 and "A Song to David" received mixed reviews until the 19th century. To his contemporaries, Smart was known mainly for his many contributions in the journals "The Midwife" and "The Student", along with his famous "Seaton Prize poems" and his mock epic "The Hilliad". Although he is primarily recognised as a religious poet, his poetry includes various other themes, such as his theories on nature and his promotion of English nationalism.