The brisk yet somewhat jocular opening musical idea is based on the “March” composed in May 1906 and included as No. 6 in the fifth volume of his childhood collection, Little Songs. This piece underwent significant additions and revisions, including the introduction of a new secondary theme, employing a more mature compositional style. Incidentally, Prokofiev composed numerous marches during his childhood, including the original version of this piece. The Soviet musicologist Derison attributes this to the frequent performance of military music to boost morale during the Russo-Japanese War. Overall, the march style is adhered to through the use of dotted notes and a regular duple meter. However, the frequent abrupt modulations and extensive use of dissonance create a grotesque atmosphere characteristic of Prokofiev.

Like the original 1906 march, it is dedicated to his close friend, Vasily Mitrofanovich Morolyov (1880–1949), a veterinarian with whom Prokofiev maintained a friendship for over 40 years since childhood.