Neo-romanticism They followed the steps of the great romantic poets of early 19th century,esp. Byron,and indulged in the descriptions of the far away and the long ago,of the mysterious and the fantastic,partly to provide entertainment for the reading public, partly as escape and partly as protest or as both,in their dissatisfaction with the social reality of the day. Neo-romanticism ❖ They followed the steps of the great romantic poets of early 19th century, esp. ❖ Byron, and indulged in the descriptions of the far away and the long ago, of the mysterious and the fantastic, partly to provide entertainment for the reading public, partly as escape and partly as protest or as both, in their dissatisfaction with the social reality of the day