Chữ Nôm, created around the tenth century, allowed writers to compose in Vietnamese using native characters that were coined by using Chinese radicals.
It is not only an oral tradition, but a mixing of three media: hidden (only retained in the memory of folk authors), fixed (written), and shown (performed).
Myths consist of stories about supernatural beings, heroes, creator gods, and reflect the viewpoint of ancient people about human life.
For example, the poem Nam quốc sơn hà (南國山河) by Lý Thường Kiệt, is in the textbook used by schools in Vietnam.
The Self-Reliant Literary Association with its two weeklies Phong Hóa and Ngày Nay were among the most read newspapers at the time, and these two papers brought fame to many writers, including Khái Hưng, Nhất Linh, Xuân Diệu, Thế Lữ, Thạch Lam and Huy Cận.
The success of The Self-Reliant Literary Association also inspired the development of modern literature during the 30s, a thriving period marked by the debuts of important writers, such as Nguyễn Tuân, Vũ Trọng Phụng, and Tô Hoài.
While some leaders resisted the popularity of Vietnamese alphabet as an imposition from the French, others embraced it as a convenient tool to boost literacy.
After declaring independence from France in 1945, Empire of Vietnam's provisional government adopted a policy of increasing literacy with Vietnamese alphabet.
The most well-known writers in North Vietnam of this period were Tố Hữu, Nguyễn Đình Thi, Trần Dần, and Hoàng Cầm.
They gathered and discussed new styles and different philosophical viewpoints about writing through certain periodicals, one of which was Sáng Tạo magazine, founded by Thanh Tâm Tuyền and Mai Thảo.
There was also one group called Quan Điểm, assembling Vũ Khắc Khoan, Mặc Đỗ and Nghiêm Xuân Hồng.