The poetry collection, called Serenade, represents one of Jan Jacob Slauerhoff's works which clearly expresses his innermost. His feelings of isolation from society, are expressed in the poems collected in this collection The main thing we can observe here is his desire for freedom and well-being which according to Slauerhoff could only be found in nature, death and primarily in his poems, which was expressed as such: Alleen in mijn gedichten kan ik wonen. This desire is caused by his reluctance to follow the way which is demanded by society. Until in his life he felt only loss of hope and futility. He also felt himself condemned, therefore he admitted to be counted in the group of poets poetes maudit. He has named this collection Serenade as if the poems represent song that he adressed to a lady idol he could never own: Happiness.