This collection captures the vibrant, gritty, and often melancholic atmosphere of Sydney's Darlinghurst district during the 1930s through a series of rhythmic vignettes. The poems follow the lives of various urban archetypes—from street-smart youths to weary socialites—as they navigate the constraints of a rapidly changing city. Slessor employs a sharp, observational lens, documenting the tension between the glamour of nightlife and the underlying decay of the urban environment. The narrative framework shifts between intimate character studies and broader, cynical reflections on the nature of modern existence.

Darlinghurst Nights is widely regarded as a seminal work in Australian urban poetry for its evocative portrayal of interwar Sydney. Critics often highlight the synergy between Slessor's sharp, rhythmic verse and Reilly's atmospheric illustrations as a defining feature of the collection. The work is frequently analyzed for its ability to distill the cynicism and energy of the era into accessible, biting stanzas. Readers often note that the poems provide a distinct historical snapshot of a neighborhood that has since transformed significantly. The collection remains a significant touchstone for those interested in the intersection of early twentieth-century urban life and literary modernism.