His most well-known piece is his 1982 opera The Postman Always Rings Twice, one of several operas he has written for the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, which prompted The New York Times to call him "a young man on the road to big things." His style is essentially tonal, and melodic and romantic by nature. Courtship Songs was written for a prominent couple who support the arts in Minneapolis in honor of their 15th wedding anniversary. According to Paulus’ web site, it is “motivated by the desires, intentions and sentiments of a love relationship. The individual movements reflect the various stages through which that relationship may pass as it proceeds and evolves into the marriage of two persons. The subtitles for each movement are taken from Middle English lyrics and express the sentiments which the music attempts to amplify.”