Rob Smiths poetry has been described as "accessible" and "poignant." The relationship between people and their natural surroundings permeates his work, as does his curiosity for the uniquely human aspiration of finding meaning through love, work, and imagination.

His poetry has received national recognition. In 2006, he received the Robert Frost Poetry Award from the Frost Foundation of Lawrence, MA for the best poem written "in the spirit of Robert Frost." More recently, in 2011, five of his poems were adapted as lyrics in a series of art songs composed by R. Michael Daugherty. The...