This chapter attempts to evaluate the small but varied body of poetry produced by G. B. Smith in the years leading up to his death in action in 1916. Rather than focusing on Smith in retrospect as simply an associate of Tolkien, it views him as a young man striving to shape a place for himself in the world of poetry. It can be seen that he was keen to absorb influences both from the Romantic aesthetic of the nineteenth century, but also from his older contemporaries who had contributed to Georgian Poetry. He was essentially conservative with regard to form, choosing to practice traditional structures like the sonnet, while also allowing himself freedom to experiment with freer metres. Three poems which seem to show particular originality are examined in more detail, including an evocation in verse of a piano piece by Schumann. The conclusion is that Smith showed great promise, but because of his early death, he must be considered as still in the apprentice stage in his extant works.