Yes there are beacons of hope :) My kids are actually not bad. My youngest actually read Lord of the Rings during his freshman year of college just as recreational reading around his classes and other activities. My older son doesn't read as much but has become a very good writer. What is lacking is people like you that can drop a poem or literary reference into daily conversation AND others pick up on reference and can relate. The shared common body of literature isn't really there anymore. They are teaching different things these days and memorization is right out.