People
A pun is not bound by the laws which limit nicer wit. It is a pistol let off at the ear; not a feather to tickle the intellect.
— Charles Lamb
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The comparison gives a pun a noisy, abrupt effect rather than the delicate pleasure associated with refined wit. A pistol and a feather suggest very different ways of reaching an audience. The contrast makes wordplay seem disruptive and startling, resistant to gentler rules of humor.
Context reviewed