Nikolaus Lenau (N. F. Niembsch von Strehlenau, 1802-1850) was an Austrian poet. Unable to settle down to any profession, he started writing verses. Many poems (e.g., Herbst, Schilflieder) were inspired by his hopeless passion for Sophie von Löwenthal. Liszt used his Faust to compose the Mephisto Walzer.