This was Chopin's second Polonaise, following closely on the heels of the first, written earlier in 1817. Both were composed when Chopin was a mere seven years of age, and both show the signs of child genius. One thinks of Mozart or Saint-Saens as examples of wunderkind, but Chopin was not far behind these iconic figures in youthful accomplishment. This little Polonaise attests both to his early talents and to his burgeoning interest in this Polish dance form which would draw attention from him throughout his career, inspiring several masterpieces.

This B flat major Polonaise opens with a fanfare-like introduction, which has a Schubertian quality about its corny grandeur. The main theme is delicate and Classical, having somewhat skeletal textures but bearing a vague resemblance to the melodic style of Chopin's later works. One notices, for example, a certain intimacy and even melancholy beneath the veneer of the lively Mozartian melody. The theme varies slightly as the piece progresses and the fanfare returns periodically, but there is not much significant development of materials and, like several of his early compositions, the music ends rather abruptly. While this piece has a measure of charm, it is obviously not an important work, its chief value being in the study of the composer's development.

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