Joplin wrote other waltzes for piano, but only one other so-designated ragtime waltz. That one, Bethena, came four years earlier in 1905. Like that effort, Pleasant Moments lacks the headlong drive of most of Joplin's other ragtime works, but it still exhibits the composer's charming, carefree sense and his deft thematic ability, even though the manner of expression is relatively subdued, almost dignified, alongside most of the composer's other keyboard efforts. The main theme is bright and festive in its syncopated glitter, but somewhat tamed by its straightforward waltz rhythm and well-behaved harmonies. While its tempo is not particularly fast, it moves with a lively gait still, and the whole comes across as pure Joplin. The mood, while not rollicking, is playful throughout, especially in the latter half, which initially is a bit more rhythmically vital and jaunty, and near the end quite celebratory and almost bombastic in its big descending chords that close out the work. This piece, at around three minutes in length, is about a minute or two shorter than most other Joplin piano works.

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